November 09, 1928 — July 12, 2026
Norma Jean Nilges, known lovingly as Jean, was born November 9, 1928, in Sedgwick County, Kansas, and passed away July 12, 2026, in Garnett, Kansas, at the age of 97 from natural causes.
Jean lived a long and faithful life grounded in Christian faith, family devotion, and quiet service to others. She was united in marriage to Bernard J. Nilges on July 16, 1948. He preceded her in death June 17, 2021. She carried the memory of their life together with grace and steadfast love.
Jean was a devoted wife, mother, and grandmother whose life reflected the values she held dear. She was known by those who loved her as a loving and kind woman, and she touched the lives of many with her gentle spirit and warm heart. Jean was born and raised in Kansas, and she attended the Bentley, Kansas High School. The lessons of her early life, combined with her faith and strong sense of family, helped shape the woman she became. She lived with humility and purpose, and she found joy in the simple and meaningful things of life. Sewing was one of her cherished interests, and through her hands and her patience she created beauty, comfort, and care. Her life was marked not by grand display, but by faithful love and steady devotion to the people around her.
Jean is survived by her daughters, Cristine M. Bacon and her husband, Charles of Moran, Kansas and Connie J. Hiner and her husband, Sam of Burlington, Kansas. She also leaves behind a loving family of grandchildren, Bryan Bacon and his wife, Brenda of McKinney, Texas, Jessica Bacon of Moran, Kansas, Tina Withers and her husband, Chris, Erica Combs and her husband, Donnie and Renee Fischer and her husband, Chancy all of Burlington, Kansas. Her legacy continues through her great-grandchildren, Abigail, Caleb, Austin, Hannah, Collin, Jocelyn, Cassidy, Evan, Ava and Addison, as well as a great-great-grandson, Oliver. Each of them carries forward a part of her love, her strength, and her example. Also surviving are three brothers, Reuben, David and Steven Blubaugh. In addition to her husband, Jean was preceded in death by five brothers, Robert, Ralph, Roger, Russell and Raymond Blubaugh and a sister, Lois Nilges.
Jean’s family was the center of her life, and she gave of herself freely and faithfully. She understood the importance of presence, encouragement, and prayer, and she offered these gifts in abundance. Her home and her heart were places of comfort, and her loved ones will remember her for her kindness, her gently words, and the deep care she showed in everyday moments. She was a woman of quiet dignity, and her life stood as a testimony to the beauty of a faithful Christian walk.
As a Christian, Jean trusted in the promises of God and lived with hope in the Lord’s mercy and eternal care. Her earthly journey has now ended, but her faith assures those who mourn that death is not the final word for those who belong to Christ. The Scriptures offer comfort in times of loss, and her family may take peace in the words of Jesus: “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in Me will live, even though they die” (John 11:25). Jean’s life reflected that hope, and her memory will remain a blessing to all who knew her. A well-known verse that speaks to the value of a life well lived is found in Ecclesiastes 3:1, which says, “To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under heaven.” Jean’s season on this earth was filled with love, faith, and devotion, and her purpose was carried out with a servant’s heart. She will be remembered not only for the years she lived, but for the goodness she shared and the legacy she leaves behind. Those who knew Jean will remember her as a loving and kind soul whose life was a gift to her family and to her community. Her passing leaves a deep absence, but her memory will continue to bring comfort, gratitude, and inspiration. May she rest in the peace of her Savior, and may her family find strength in the hope of eternal life and the assurance that love never truly ends. Her family would like to thank the staff at the Anderson County Residential Living Center for all their friendship and care for Jean over the last several years.
Funeral services will be held at 11:00 A.M. Thursday, July 23rd at the First Christian Church in Garnett, Kansas. The family will receive friends from 10:00 A.M. until service time at the church. Following the service at the church, a graveside service will be held at 2:00 P.M. at the Gas City Cemetery in Gas, Kansas. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Anderson County Residential Living Center or the Good Shepherd Hospice and may be left in care of the Cheney Witt Chapel, 201 S. Main, P.O. Box 347, Ft. Scott, KS 66701. Words of remembrance may be submitted to the online guestbook at cheneywitt.com.
