Mary Cline

Mary (Cords) Cline, 86, passed away peacefully on Monday, September 28th at the Saunders County Medical Center Skilled & Long Term Care in Wahoo, NE.

Mary was born on April 4, 1940, in Mead, NE, to William and Viola Cords. She grew up on a farm near Ceresco with her parents and six siblings; brothers, William (Bill) Cords, Herbert (Herb) Cords, and Marvin (Marv) Cords; and sisters, Joyce Murphy, Wilma Pearson, and Joann Cords.

Mary wed Tom Whitney and together they welcomed 3 incredible children; Kim TePoel, Tom Whitney, and Scott Whitney.

Mary was a hardworking and dedicated businesswoman who took great pride in her career. She was a Vice President at the Lincoln Credit Union for 23 years, where she belonged to a five-state credit organization and served on the board for six years, including President during her last year. Following her time at the Lincoln Credit Union, Mary worked at the Quarry Oaks Golf Course in Ashland as a service and banquet bartender. She later worked for five years at H&R Block in Lincoln as supervisor of the phone center. Mary also spent many years organizing and leading bus tours to Branson, MO.

Mary married the love of her life, Max Cline, on August 23, 1999. Together, they enjoyed a wonderful retirement as “snowbirds,” escaping the cold Midwest winters to enjoy the sunshine of Mesa, AZ for 13 years. They spent their summers in Yankton, SD, as Max was an avid fisherman. Following Max’s passing in 2014, Mary returned to her hometown of Lincoln, NE, to be closer to her family.

There was nothing Mary loved more than her six grandchildren; Desirae (Eric) TePoel of Anchorage, AK; Dylan (Lauren) TePoel of Malmo, NE; Hannah (Matthew) Colwell of Bloomsdale, MO; Jordan (Brenda) Whitney of Savannah, GA; Janessa (Bailey) Whitney of Lincoln, NE; and Kayla Whitney of Lincoln, NE. She was also a loving great-grandmother to nine great-grandchildren, who brought her immense joy.

Mary will fondly be remembered for her love of reading cookbooks, her creativity with crafts, her enjoyment of a good game of bingo or a casino slot machine, her eye for a good bargain at garage sales, and — perhaps most famously — her competitive spirit around the card table.

Mary is survived by her daughter, Kim TePoel of Malmo, NE; son, Scott (Mary) Whitney, of Lincoln, NE; six grandchildren; nine great-grandchildren; sisters-in-law, Jane Cords and Mary Lou Cords, both of Lincoln, NE; stepson, Marv Cline of Yankton, NE; and many nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her beloved husband, Max Cline; her loving son, Tom Whitney; her parents, William and Viola Cords; her brothers, Bill, Herb, and Marvin Cords; her sisters, Joyce Murphy, Wilma Pearson, and Joanne Cords; and her son-in-law, Chris TePoel.

Mary will be remembered for her strong work ethic, competitive spirit, creativity, and, most of all, the love she had for her family. Her memory will live on in the generations of family she leaves behind — in every card hand dealt, every good recipe found in a cookbook, and every strum of a ukulele.

Services will be arranged at a later date.

Memorials may be directed to Hospice and Home Healthcare of Saunders County.