Joan E. (Ericson) Mallatt
LINCOLN — Joan E. Mallatt, 90, died after a short illness Feb. 9, 2020, in Lincoln, with her son, Jeff, daughter, Ann, and brother, Jon Ericson, nearby.
Burial was at the Laurel Cemetery July 10. A brief graveside service was followed by Mass at St. Mary’s Catholic Church, Laurel, with coffee and lunch immediately following in the church hall.
Masks were optional but the immediate family was masked throughout.
Arrangements were under the direction of the Wintz Funeral Home, Laurel.
“Jo” was born to Clarence and Famy (Bruggeman) Ericson Aug. 22, 1929, in Laurel. She graduated from Laurel High School in 1948, and attended Wayne State College. She then worked as a telephone operator in Laurel and taught elementary school in Plainview. Joan married Patrick E. Mallatt in Laurel Aug. 7, 1954. The couple settled in Lincoln and Joan worked in the Lincoln Public Schools, first at Lincoln Southeast High School as a foreign language and math lab clerk, and then at Lincoln East High School in the media center. She was an avid reader, delighting in articles from the New Yorker, to cozy Irish murder mysteries, to the sports section of the local paper. She was also a regular viewer of Jeopardy! and could finish a crossword puzzle in minutes.
She is survived by her two children, Jeff Mallatt, Arlington, Mass., and Ann (Mark) Killenbeck, Fayetteville, Ark.; and one granddaughter, Jessica Killenbeck. She remained especially close over the years to her brother Jon Ericson, Coronado, Calif., who survives her, along with his wife, Mary, and their two children, Christine (Rob) Trodella and Michael Ericson.
Additional survivors include cousins Darlene Cuba, Concord, and Harlan Shively, Arvada, Colo.; brothers-in-law, L. J. “Ole” Mallatt, Laurel, and William Mallatt, South Sioux City; sisters-in-law, Shirley Kraemer, Laurel, and Saundra Bottger, Grand Island; and many nieces and nephews.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Pat; her parents, Clarence and Famy (Bruggeman) Ericson; many beloved cousins, in-laws, and a great-nephew.