Connie Joy Van Wie

February 17, 1938 - November 10, 2020

Connie Joy (Underberg) Van Wie of Grand Island passed on November 10th, 2020 at her daughter’s home in Omaha, Nebraska, with family by her side. Services will be held at 10 AM Saturday, November 14th at All Faiths Funeral Home. Daniel Naranjo will officiate. The service will be livestreamed at All Faiths Funeral Home Facebook page. To help protect others, facemasks are required. Burial will be in the Grand Island Cemetery with the Reverend John Adams officiating. Visitation will be from 5-7 PM Friday at the funeral home. In lieu of flowers, memorials are suggested to UNMC Parkinson’s Research or Central Nebraska Humane Society. Connie was the daughter and oldest of two children, born to parents Irwin “Irv” Underberg and Leota Underberg on February 17, 1938, in Ord, Nebraska. She was the granddaughter to the late Jay Auble, who invented/founder the shade light marquee. He was instrumental in the development of the Ord Golf Club, Auble Lake and the Hwy to Omaha. In the early years, the family moved to Waukegan, Illinois where her father became a watch repairman for the family jewelry store. After a couple of years, they returned to Madison, Nebraska where she spent her grammar years. The family finally settled in Broken Bow, Nebraska, which held her fondest memories growing up. Connie attended Broken Bow High School where she was a majorette in the high school band, had two leading roles in school plays, her classmates voted her All Around Girl, she was Miss Broken Bow and went on to become first runner up in the Miss Nebraska Pageant. She attended Methodist School of Nursing where she followed in her mother and aunt’s footsteps and became a Nurse. Connie was united in marriage to Dr. Gene Van Wie on November 19, 1960 at St. Stephens Episcopal Church in Grand Island, NE. The couple went on to the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota where Gene did his residency in surgery and Connie worked in the Neonatal Care Unit. They returned to Grand Island in 1966 where they called home for 50 plus years. Gene was a physician at St. Francis Medical Center, Lutheran Hospital, and the VA Hospital where he practiced medicine for countless years. They added a summer home at Johnson’s Lake, Nebraska in the 1970’s which they traveled to every weekend come rain or shine! It was their getaway, a place to relax, and they often referred to it as their “Sanctuary.” Connie’s greatest love was spending time with her family and attending any events that her grandchildren were involved in. She loved to entertain at her home and travel to Arizona (a special place in her heart). Connie was very involved in her community and was a member to several organizations – PEO Chapter CK, Book Club, Bridge Club, President/Founder of Grand Island Parkinson’s Group, The Guild of St. Francis, the Nebraska Humane Society, and a faithful member of St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church, and many other organizations. Connie was an extraordinary person, she embraced life to the fullest, never sitting down and always on the go. She had deep rooted connections with friends reaching far and wide. Most of those friendships lasting over 50 years - something she truly cherished. She had an infectious smile, beautiful to the core, profoundly loving and giving of herself. She was infused in our lives and in our hearts. We were extremely fortunate and blessed to have such a wonderful loving mother, grandmother, and friend. Those left to cherish her memory are her children Scott (Jana) Van Wie of Grand Island, Karly (Dan) Olson of Omaha. Among her biggest joys were her grandchildren Kayla Van Wie, Krista (Mason) Beel, Luc Van Wie, Elle Olson, and Grey Olson. Connie is also survived by her brother Bill (Sue) Underberg of Michigan, nephew Jess Underberg of Arizona, Niece Heather (Jay) Janov of California, nephew Ross Underberg of Michigan. Connie was preceded in death by her parents and her husband A.E. “Gene” Van Wie.