Judith A. Marco

Judith Ann Bjorklund Marco, 76, of Central City, died Tuesday, February 15, 2022 at Litzenberg Memorial Long Term Care. Memorial services will be Monday, February 21, 2022 at the United Methodist Church in Central City at 11:00 a.m. with Pastor Tom Lucas officiating. Visitation will be on Sunday, February 20th from 5-7 p.m. at the United Methodist Church. Inurnment will be at a later date. Memorials are suggested to the family to be designated at a later time. Condolences may be sent to the family at www.soltwagnerfuneral.com. Judith Ann Bjorklund was born April 5, 1945, in Ord, Nebraska, to Lorene (Otto) Bjorkund and Oscar Leroy Bjorklund. The family lived on a farm near Greeley and she attended Freeman Valley District 20 rural school through the 8th grade. She always maintained she had the best education possible and it prepared her for a full and rewarding life. She attended Greeley High School from grades nine through twelve and graduated as the valedictorian of the class in 1963. During her high school years, she participated in music, speech, volleyball, softball, and track. She was an accomplished accordionist and played, along with another musician, Darlene Soll MacKenzie, for many occasions and events in the Greeley area. After her daughters were old enough to voice an opinion, they told herto never tell anyone she played the accordion or they would run away from home. Eventually she began playing again with other accordionists. She attended Kearney State Teachers College, graduating in 1967. She was in the college marching and jazz bands,andplayed exhibition basketball (with 6-woman rules). She was also a member of Kappa Pi Art Honorary Society and Sigma Tau Delta English Honorary Society. Upon graduation, she took a teaching position at the Central City High School in Central City, Nebraska, where she taught English and pioneered the art program at the school. In the summer of 1968 she married Len Marco, her high school sweetheart, and moved to Atlanta, Georgia, where he was stationed at the Fort MacPherson Army Post. She obtained a teaching position in Douglasville Junior High in Douglasville, Georgia. Their daughter Pamela was born while they lived in Atlanta. The family moved to Hebron, Nebraska, when Len got out of the Army, and she taught English and Art at Hebron High School for two years. Their daughter Melissa was born while they resided there. The family returned to Central City in 1972, where Judy took the position of Central City Junior High, and later Central City Middle School art and English teacher until her retirement in 2000. In 2000, she took the position of Youth Services Librarian at the Central City Public Library, and continued to serve the children of the area. It was a source of great pride to see former pupils bring their children (and occasionally grandchildren) to the library and having happy and successful lives.She retired from the library in October of 2018. Throughout her life, she was active in her community and church. As a member of the United Methodist Church, at different times, she led the youth choir, sang in the adult choir, organized women’s teas, and applied her art talents to keeping the bulletin board in the fellowship hall interesting and eye-catching. She was a long-time member of the American Legion Auxiliary and the Delta Kappa Gamma International Women Educator’s Society, the Nebraska Writer’s Guild, local, state and national education groups, the Merrick Arts Council, the Merrick County Historical Museum, and the Chamber of Commerce where she served at one point on the Chamber board. She received the Chamber of Commerce Volunteer of the Year Award for her efforts in organizing and creating the Community Christmas Pageant for eight years. She wrote the scripts for some of the pageants and sometimes composed the music herself. She also received a Northeast Library Systems Award of the Year for her work with children and youth in innovative projects.The large softball field sign at South Park was her inspiration and design. Her greatest joy has been her children and grandchildren, daughters Pamela Lee Marco of Lincoln, and Melissa Lynn Marco Gragg (Scott)of Central City, and watching her two grandchildren, Alexandria and Ashton Gragg, grow into great human beings. Following their sports and activities provided many hours of loving entertainment, and she claimed it kept her from feeling old. She is also survived by her sister-in-law Ann Bjorklund, her brother-in-law Dwight Engel, and her sister-in-law Gretchen Behnk, as well as numerous cousins, nieces, and nephews. She was preceded in death by her parents; her infant older brother, William Leroy; her brother, Dennis Bjorklund;her sister, Carol Bjorklund Engel;and her brother-in-law, Scott Behnk.

Judith A. Marco

April 5, 1945 - February 15, 2022