Martha Ursula Okresza was born on October 21, 1929, in Elyria, Nebraska, to John and Mary (Swinonoga) Okresza, Polish immigrants. The youngest of seven siblings—Joseph, Julius, Rose, Ann, Rudolph, and Gertrude—she spent her early childhood on the family farm, which she and her sister Trudy especially loved. After her father’s passing when she was 10, the family sold the farm and moved to Ord, where Martha continued her education and graduated from Ord High School. She then worked at Noll’s, a seed and flower shop, where she learned the art of floral design.
On June 9, 1951, Martha married Donald Shoemaker. Together, they welcomed five children in just six years: Cynthia, Janie, James, Richard, and Charles. After a time in a small home near Don’s parents, the family purchased a farm southwest of North Loup and began their life of farming and raising a young family. Those years were filled with hard work: caring for animals, tending gardens, preserving produce, doing laundry with a wringer washer, and managing the household. One winter, after bottle-feeding two dozen lambs and drying diapers indoors, she declared she was getting a clothes dryer—and she did.
Though life was difficult, it was also filled with treasured memories. Family outings to the Burwell rodeo were made extra special by Martha’s homemade fried chicken, potato salad, and fresh vegetables. A particularly cherished memory was her trip to Poland with her sisters and cousin, where she visited her mother’s birthplace and met extended family.
Martha endured profound losses throughout her life: her father when she was 10, her brother Julius during WWII, her mother in 1968, her husband Don in 1972 at the age of 40, and her son Richard in a car accident in 1977 at just 21. Yet through all the grief, she remained resilient, continuing to live on the family farm well into her 90s.
Her family remembers her sewing a blue velvet dress for Cindy’s homecoming and crafting cheerleading skirts, patching jeans, and making delicious meals—dinner rolls, homemade bread, chicken soup with noodles, and the ever-loved angel food cake with frosting. Stories abounded of her being chased by cows, moving irrigation pipe through towering corn, crafting corsages for teacher gifts, and enjoying trips to casinos with friends. At 94, she was still putting up sweet corn with her family.
Martha’s family was her pride and joy. She was a devoted mother, grandmother to 13, step grandmother to 6, great-grandmother to 40, and great-great-grandmother to 4. She often said she couldn’t have made it through life without the love of her family.
Her Catholic faith, rooted in the example set by her mother, was her guiding light. She led a special devotion to the rosary and, in her later years, to Our Lady of Czestochowa. At the end of her life, she was surrounded by prayer, devotions, and the sacraments—embraced in faith and love. Her life was rich with hard work, deep family bonds, and a strong sense of purpose. She often said she had a wonderful life and felt truly blessed.
Martha leaves behind a legacy of love and resilience. She will be deeply missed as the matriarch of the Shoemaker family, and her memory will be cherished by all who knew her.
She is survived by her daughters, Cindy (John) Hanzel of Lincoln and Jane (late Eldon) Baker; her sons Jim (Rita) Shoemaker and Chuck (Vicki) Shoemaker of North Loup; and a large and loving extended family.
Martha passed away peacefully with her family by her side on Thursday, May 15, 2025, at Brookefield Park in St. Paul, Nebraska at the age of 95.
Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Tuesday, May 20, 2025, at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic Church in Ord, Nebraska. Father Mark Maresh will be the Mass celebrant. Interment will be in the Ord Catholic Cemetery. Visitation will be held on Tuesday at the church beginning at 9:30 a.m. The Rosary will be recited at 10:00 a.m. Memorials are suggested to the Loup Valley Veterans Memorial or North Loup Popcorn Days Association. Ord Memorial Chapel is assisting with the arrangements.
Online condolences may be left at www.ordmemorialchapel.com.
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