Serene Isabel (Gress) Hunt

Serene I. (Gress) Hunt-Nolfo, age 94 of Nebraska City, NE passed away on Tuesday evening; November 14, 2023 at the Ambassador in Nebraska City. 

She was born on November 24, 1928 in Nebraska City, NE; the daughter of Theodore Carl "Tate" and Mary Julianna (Hallamann) Gress.    Serene spent a wonderful early life in Nebraska City, attending and graduating in 1947 from Nebraska City High School.  She attended Omaha Business College and worked 5 1/2 years for Highway Motor Freight beginning as a Billing Clerk and becoming the Office Manager. 

Leaving Omaha, she worked at Anderson Motor Freight as secretary and office manager.  She moved to Chicago in August 1955 working at Zeno Trucking for a year and then left to venture to Chicago’s famous La Salle St. District working for John Nuveen Company for 17 years.  It was a wonderful company with many benefits. After the headquarters moved, Serene worked for Arthur Rubbuff, selling apartment condominiums.  In six months, the project was completed and she went to Oak Brook, IL to work for a brokerage company.

After years in apartments, Serene and Ernest purchased a home in LaGrange, IL just outside of Chicago.  Ernest retired from Western Electric-now AT&T-in 1985 and he and Serene moved to Sun City, AZ and purchased a home there.   Serene met a lot of friends and enjoyed retirement activities while Ernie enjoyed bowling.

Later in life-while still in Arizona-Serene was working at Merrill Lynch and while at lunch she met Ludwing Nolfo on April 13, 1998.  They had a very happy spring; meeting Lud’s son and two daughters in his home town of St Louis, MO.  They traveled on to Nebraska City to meet Serene’s family.  By June they were engaged, and on October 19, 1998 they were married.  It was a wonderful and happy marriage with Lud passing away June 12, 2008.

She was a member of St. Benedict’s Catholic Church and Christian Mothers.

She is survived by her brother Raymond Gress of Nebraska City; a niece Diane Lausterer (Kris) of Papillion, NE; nephews:  Patrick Gress of Nebraska City, Christopher Gress (Jamie) of Lincoln, NE and Gregory Gress (Jane) of Raleigh, NC; step-daughter Pat Van de Riet of St Louis MO, step-son Andrew Nolfo of Sun City, AZ, numerous great-nieces and great-nephews; other family and friends.

She was preceded in death by her parents, husbands Ernest Hunt and Ludwig Nolfo, a step daughter Felicia Callies and sister-in-law Carolyn Gress .
Funeral Services will be held on Monday (Nov. 20) at 10:00 a.m. at St. Benedict’s Catholic Church in Nebraska City with Fr. Doug Daro celebrating the Mass.   Burial will follow in St. Benedict’s Cemetery.

The family will greet friends from 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. on Sunday (11/19) at Gude Mortuary in Nebraska City followed by a rosary at 6:30 p.m.
Memorials may be directed to St. Benedict’s Church Hall (Abbey) Building Fund.  
 

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Serene Isabel (Gress) Hunt, please visit our floral store.