Dixie D. Dreher
Dixie Dee Dreher, 91, of Elwood, Nebraska, passed away peacefully on Sunday, October 11, 2026 at the Elwood Care Center.
Dixie was born on June 12, 1935, to Spencer Sr. and Earline (Tilson) Decker at her grandparent’s farmhouse northwest of Elwood in Gosper County. She was the eldest of three children born to this union which included her brothers, Spencer Jr., and Jerry.
In 1940, the family moved to Castro Valley, CA, where she attended elementary school and her freshman year at Hayward High School, Hayward, CA. When her parents separated in 1951, Dixie moved back to Elwood to live with her grandparents, Earl and Gertie Tilson.
She attended Elwood High School until 1952 when she met Oren Dale McKenzie.
They were married while he was in the service, stationed in Las Cruces, NM. They were then transferred to Tacoma, WA, where their first daughter, Kristine Kae was born.
Later, moving back to Elwood, the city gal became a farmwife where she received her G.E.D. and had five more children: Sheri Gail, Susan Lynn, Karol Dale, David Deloid (who died in infancy) and Garold Dale.
The couple later divorced and Dixie moved to town with the children.
In 1969, as a single parent, Dixie bought her own home in Elwood, where she lived for the next 50+ years until she became a resident of the Elwood Care Center in 2024.
On November 24, 1972, she married Rodney R. Dreher at the First Christian Church in Elwood, adding his three children, Tom, Anne and Pam to their blended family. Rod and Dixie enjoyed nearly 54 years together.
Dixie was very involved in the community and her children’s activities with many diverse interests. She served on the Girl Scout Neighborhood Association, was a deacon and a part of several committees at the Elwood First Christian Church, loved to bowl and play softball, take bus tours and travel in the U.S. She was a very accomplished seamstress and assisted with 4-H livestock projects. Dixie was always ready to play board games, word games and card games with family and friends. She was responsible for planning and establishing the Elwood Community Action Program Service Center, worked for Mid-Nebraska Community Services, and Gosper County Social Services. She also helped bring Head Start, housing services, family planning services, job training and transportation (SENLOW bus) to Gosper County. Her vision of starting a Gosper County Sr. Center in Elwood was realized in 1985 and she served as its director for 12 years. She enjoyed her time with the friends she met through the Area Agency on Aging.
Family was extremely important to Dixie. She took an interest in all of their activities and rarely missed an event or program in which they were involved. She cherished the times their home was “filled to the brim” with children and grandchildren and they could always count on having homemade cookies when they arrived.
Survivors include her husband, Rod Dreher of Elwood; five daughters Kris (Reiny) Grasmick, Chaska, MN, Sheri (Dave) Giesbrecht, Lexington, NE, Susan (Sam) Hock, Phoenix, AZ, Karol Nelson, Phoenix, AZ and Anne (Ron) Schmidt, Sand Point, ID; two sons, Gary (Gayle) McKenzie, Tempe, AZ and Tom Dreher, Franklin, NE; 13 grandchildren; 17 great-grandchildren with one on the way; sistersin-law, Maxine Misterek, Elwood, NE, Janean Decker, Houston, TX and Jo Dreher, Denver, CO.
She was preceded in death by her parents, Spencer (Judith) Decker, Sr. and Earline (Miland) Silveria; son, David D. McKenzie and daughter, Pamela J. Dreher; daughterin- law, Angel Dreher; brothers, Spencer Decker Jr., and Jerry (Helen) Decker; in-laws, Wes (Mary) Dreher and Dick (Wanda) Phillips; nephew, Jay Decker; and great-grandson, Ronan Nott.
Memorials are suggested to the Elwood First Christian Church, the Gosper County Senior Center, the Elwood Foundation or the Hi-Line Booster Club. Online condolences may be shared at berrymanfuneralhome. com.
Funeral services will be held Monday, October 19, 2026 at 10:30 a.m. at the Berryman Funeral Home Chapel. Visitation will be Sunday, October 18, 2026 from 4 to 6 p.m. at Berryman Funeral Home.
