Virginia Ann Pokorski

Virginia A. Pokorski, 78, of Grand Island, died Tuesday, Oct. 6, 2020, at CHI Health Creighton University Medical Center – Bergan Mercy in Omaha. Mass of Christian Burial will be 10 a.m. Tuesday, Oct. 13, 2020, at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Catholic Church in Paplin. The Rev. Richard Piontkowski will celebrate the Mass. Burial will be in Our Lady of Mount Carmel Catholic Cemetery in Paplin. Visitation will be Monday from 5 to 7 p.m. at the church, with a 7 p.m. Rosary. Memorials are suggested to “Friends of Paplin” or to the family for later designation. Social distancing and face masks will be required for both the visitation and Mass. Peters Funeral Home of Loup City is assisting the family. Virginia was born on May 25, 1942, at Loup City, the daughter of Edward A. “Fritz” and Anna H. (Eurek) Shotkoski. Virginia grew up on a farm south of Arcadia, attended rural schools and graduated from Loup City High School in 1960. She then attended St. Francis School of Nursing in Grand Island and was a 1965 graduate of Duchesne Academy of the Sacred Heart Nursing School in Omaha. She was united in marriage to Patrick R. Pokorski on July 1, 1967 at St. Josaphat’s Catholic Church in Loup City. The couple lived their entire married life in the Ashton area, near Paplin. Virginia taught classes at the St. Francis School of Nursing in Grand Island, she also worked as a nurse at Loup City Head start Program, Sacred Heart Hospital in Loup City and retired after 32 years of working at the VA Medical Center in Grand Island .One of her proudest achievements was helping to set up VA Medical Outreach Clinics in western Nebraska to help with veterans’ healthcare. Pat passed away Jan. 6, 2001 and Virginia continued to run his bar, Pat’s Place in Ashton and live on the farm. She moved to Grand Island in 2015, where she lived the rest of her life. She was a member of Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church in Grand Island and a former member of Our Lady of Mount Carmel Catholic Church in Paplin and St. Francis Catholic Church in Ashton. Over the years she was the Ashton Girls Softball Coach, bowled on the Ashton State Bank Women’s Bowling team in St. Paul and was a board member of the Polish Heritage Center in Ashton. Virginia enjoyed reading, gardening and flowers and loved cooking and attending her grandchildren’s activities. She is survived by her daughter and son-in-law, Tamara and Eric Nelson of St. Libory; son and significant other, Rodney Pokorski and Ann Obermiller of Ravenna; grandchildren and spouses, Tianna Nelson of St. Libory, Devin Nelson of St. Libory, Capri and Ben Klug and their children, Ella, Noah and Liam of North Platte, Catie and Sam Kosse and their children, Cutler, Keller and Greer of Campbell and Cally Timm of Ravenna; siblings and spouses, John Shotkoski of Lincoln, Pat Opp of Wood River, Janis and Ron Palu of Grand Island, Tom and Jacque Shotkoski of Lincoln, Rosie Dooley of Wood River, Kathy Bydalek of Kearney, and Joyce and Randy Rowley of Grand Island; and a “second son”, Darrell and Susan Ziola of Elkhorn. In addition to her husband, Pat, she was preceded in death by her parents.