Ellen M. Vrtatko, 89, of Dix, died at Kimball Health Services on Monday, December 19, 2022. Rosary Service will be held at 9:00 a.m. on Wednesday, December 28, 2022 with the Mass of Christian Burial to follow at 10:00 a.m. at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Kimball with Father C.P. Varghese officiating. Burial will be in the Dix Cemetery. Friends may call at the funeral home on Tuesday from 1:00 until 4:00 p.m. Friends may also visit www.cantrellfh.com to view her Tribute Wall and leave condolences and stories for the family. The services for Ellen have been entrusted to the Cantrell Funeral Home in Kimball.
Ellen Mary Vrtatko was born on the family homestead north of Howells, Nebraska on November 5, 1933, the daughter of Stanley and Marie (Borsky) Svitak, Sr. She received her education from the Howells Schools and graduated in 1953. Ellen contracted Polio and had to relearn normal daily tasks using her left hand. She was married to George Vrtatko at St. John’s Catholic Church in Howells on October 8, 1955. The family lived on the family farm south of Dix, this is where Ellen learned and fell in love with cooking. She helped at the Dix Polling station during the election process, and was involved with many garden and extension clubs throughout her life. She also loved to read and do crafts. In later years, Ellen and George spent many winters in Bullhead, Arizona.
Ellen is survived by her sons James Vrtatko of Dix, NE., and Rodney Vrtatko of Banner County, NE; brother Stanley (Betty) Svitak, and sisters Alice (Leroy) Ulrich and Mildred Choat; grandchildren Trustin (Rachael) Vrtatko and Johnathan Vrtatko; 4 great grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her husband George Vrtatko, parents Stanley Sr. and Marie Svitak, grandson Michael Vrtatko and daughter-in-law Christina (Stahla) Vrtatko.
