Armeda C. (Vaughn) Freel, 83, of Gering, passed away on Friday, September 3, 2021 at her home. Visitation will be held from 4 to 7 PM on Tuesday, September 7, 2021 at Dugan Kramer Chapel. Her funeral service will be held at 10:30 AM on Wednesday, September 8, 2021 at Dugan Kramer Funeral Chapel with Reverend George Naylor officiating. Interment will follow at the Mitchell City Cemetery. Memorials may be given to St. James Lutheran Church in Scottsbluff or the Midwest Theater. Online condolences may be left at www.dugankramer.com
Armeda was born November 11th, 1937 at Cherokee, Iowa on a farm to John and Claribel Plueger. She was the 8th of 11 children. She was raised and received her education in LeMars, Iowa. She married Leroy Vaughn, June 14th, 1956 in LeMars. They moved to the panhandle of Nebraska in 1959 and lived in Scottsbluff, Torrington and Guernsey Wyoming and back to Gering Nebraska in 1974 with United Telephone Company of the West. To this union 5 children were born: Laurie, Tyler, Kevin, Vicki, Douglas and one little girl that was still born.
In 1980 she married Jim Freel and moved to Mitchell Nebraska. Jim was a kind and loving man and was good to her and the children. Both Armeda and Jim worked for Western Sugar. They enjoyed traveling all over the United States, Canada and Mexico on their three week vacations while they were working. After retirement in 1997 they spent their winters in Yuma Arizona for six years and working harvest in the fall. After Jim passed away in 2003, Armeda continued to travel to Yuma by herself. She had spent 21 years in Yuma.
Armeda is a member of St. James Lutheran Church. In her earlier years she loved teaching Sunday school and V.B.S. for the little ones in Torrington, Guernsey, Gering and later in Morrill Nebraska. She did pictures and video for both.
She loved yard and flowerbed work, traveling, bowling, taking pictures and most of all hot air ballooning in later years. She had 19 hot air balloon flights, the last one was on her 80th birthday.
Also, in her retirement years, as a widow, she volunteered at the hospital for 10 years in Yuma. She ushered at community plays, the historic theater and the Art Center. She volunteered at Heritage Estates Nursing Home for 12 years. She also ushered at the Midwest Theater as well as community plays.
In the early 70’s her first husband and her started a mission church in Guernsey, after canvasing the town using the Episcopal Church in Hartville. Pastor Hernandez from Wheatland was the Pastor at the time.
Survivors include sons: Kevin and Douglas Vaughn; daughter Vicki (Gary) Pfortmiller; step-children Gary Freel, Barry Freel and Sandra (Mike) Preble; 5 grandchildren: Kevin, Brian, Tyler, Hagen and Dalton; 7 step-grandchildren Michael, Trisha, Joshua, Zachry, Charles, Jennifer and Alanna; 11 great-grandchildren; 12 step-great-grandchildren; brothers: Don (Mable), Gene, Ken (Connie), and Stan (Pat) Plueger; sisters: Sandra Dougan and Lawanda Mendez; sister-in-law Sally; brother-in-law Eddie; and extended family members.
She was preceded in death by her parents, son Tyler Vaughn, a little angel daughter (stillborn), daughter Laurie Vaughn, brothers Bob and Lyle Dean, husband Jim, sisters Carol and Jackie, sister-in-law Delores, brothers-in-law John, Ray and Weymond and step-daughter-in-law Ronda Freel.
Armeda touched so many lives and was always helping others. She will be greatly missed by all who knew her.
