Jane Walker

Jane Louise McGinley Walker, age 78, of Ogallala & formerly of Keystone, passed away peacefully on Wednesday, April 28, 2021 in Ogallala. 

A Memorial Service will be held on Monday, May 10, 2021 at 1:00 p.m. at the Arthur County Fairgrounds arena.  Please dress casually. Refreshments and reminiscing at the Veterans Memorial Hall building immediately following the service. 

Jane, Janie, “Mom”, “Grandma Jane”, “Grammy Jane” as she was affectionately called by her cherished family & even by some of her customers & coworkers at her job at Walmart, was born in Ogallala on December 6, 1942. She was adopted by George T. McGinley Jr. and Ada Forsyth McGinley. Her parents raised her on the McGinley Ranch homestead west of Keystone where she lived with her parents, brother Terry and her beloved grandmother, “MeMe”. Later raising her family there alongside her brother Terry and his wife Chris & their family. 

Jane attended school in Keystone and St. Luke’s Catholic school in Ogallala. She graduated from Ogallala High School in 1960. She still enjoyed gatherings with classmates at monthly luncheons and Carol’s house.  

Her youth was spent being a ranch girl and anything outdoors (Which didn’t always make Mama Ada happy!). She loved riding horses to the neighbors, moving cattle, bottle feeding calves, branding, shipping cattle or just helping the light of her life, her Daddy George with ranch chores and activities. She truly loved the joys of ranch life. Jane had success and happiness in horse 4H, Nebraska high school rodeo and she was the 1959 Ogallala Roundup princess. She found joy on a horse, whether just riding everywhere to visit friends, running barrels or pleasure riding. She enjoyed adventures at the Whitetail Creek which ran through the ranch. It may be swimming, looking for critters or just hanging out with a friend. 

Jane married Bill Walker of Broken Bow on January 28, 1961 at St. Luke’s Catholic Church. They had three children, Debra (1962), Donald (1964) and James Bradley -J.B. (1967) whom they raised on the main ranch at Keystone until they moved to the North part of the ranch a few miles away. After she married, she continued to do everything needed on the ranch from cooking for hired men on occasion, ranch work, brandings, moving cattle, or anything needed, if it was outdoors. She continued to love ranch life. If there was an animal to raise, she had it: including rabbits, chickens, guineas, goats, horses, and dogs. They also enjoyed their card club and playing cards or dominos with her in-laws and enjoyed hosting or attending the McGinley and Walker family reunions.  

Their kids attended Keystone school and a small country school and eventually went to Arthur for high school, which began their ties to the Arthur community. 
 After the ranch sold, they bought an acreage south of Ogallala but kept their connections to Arthur by leasing & running the “Country Inn Cafe” and having a small rental there with a traveling video business on the side. Anything to be around people. 

After her divorce when the children were grown, she moved to North Platte to work and live. Again, involving people, she worked at Video Kingdom as well as beginning her 26-year venture working for Walmart up until her death. Most of it in North Platte but when Ogallala opened a store, she relocated to Ogallala to be closer to family and their activities. She made many dear friends while at Video Kingdom and Walmart and went on some fun adventures such as Comstock with coworkers and friends. Her friendships continued at her job at Walmart in Ogallala with her latest job being the greeter/counter when the pandemic hit. She loved her job, handing out stickers to the many kids who came in and greeting customers, many whom she called her friends. She’d worked for her manager, Christel for 14 years. She may have missed counting a person or two while she took time to visit with everyone! 

Jane’s pride and joy were her kids, grandkids, great grandkids, and her kid’s dogs. She rarely missed an activity, sporting event, rodeo, birthday, Christmas gathering, play, concert, baptism, or anything that involved her family. If she knew about it, you could count on her being there in the stands and watching and cheering from somewhere nearby. She loved being involved in their lives! Jane had a reputation for taking photos of not only her kids but everyone else’s too. Then later she was the videographer and scorekeeper for her grandkid’s sports or rodeos. In recent years when her grandkids activities slowed other than rodeos, you could find her at the tennis courts watching her daughter and granddaughter play, enjoying the outdoors with the dogs or occasionally at the legion playing Bingo. She still traveled everywhere to any event that involved family, animals or sometimes just to go for a ride somewhere or a Mexican meal with grandkids. Ask her and it was always -“I’ll be there or when are you picking me up?”

Jane was involved with many organizations through the years; 4H, Nebraska High School Rodeo Association, St. Luke’s Catholic Church, Keystone Library Club, Pack backers of Arthur, AKC Kennel Club, Nebraska Cattlewomen, Ogallala bowling league, American Quarter Horse Association, Ogallala Moose Lodge as well as anything her children were participating in throughout the years. 

Those left to cherish the beautiful memories include: Daughter, Deb (Paul) Cleveland of Keystone, sons, Don (Lori) and J.B. (friend Stefani) both of Arthur. Grandchildren and great grandchildren Jade Cleveland of Lincoln, Brody (Jenna) Cleveland of Ogallala, Annie Cleveland of Keystone, Tyler (Sammy) Walker, Cooper and Cody of Mullen, Jace Walker and Berklei of Arthur, Mikaela Walker of Imperial, Mackenzie (Connor) Merrill of Paxton, Hunter (Taylor) Walker, Treg and Quincie of Arthur and Gunner Walker (friend Lacey) of Arthur. Brother, Terry McGinley of Bandera, Tx. Grand dogs Miley, Zoey, Coors and all the others. Many nieces, nephews, cousins, in-laws and her multitude of friends and coworkers. 

Jane was preceded in death by her parents, George and Ada, Grandparents Anna “Meme” and Adam Forsyth, and George and Margaret McGinley Sr, mother & father-in-law, Laura and Robert Walker, sister-in-law, Chris, several dogs and family and friends. 

Memorial are suggested to the Ogallala Round-up Rodeo, Arthur County Fair and Rodeo, the Unity Project -Collister Park renovation or the donor’s choice in Jane’s name.

Online condolences may be left at www.drauckerfh.com by clicking the share a memory button. The service will be recorded and posted after the service. 

Draucker Funeral Home of Ogallala has been entrusted with arrangements. 

To send flowers to the family, please visit our floral store.