illian Nowak – age 94, former Gorham, Kansas resident passed away graciously on Monday, January 20, 2025, at the Dignity Care Center in Salina, Kansas.
She was born on September 19, 1930, on the family farm north of Walker, Kansas to Anton P. and Rosa (Nemecheck) Sander. Lillian was the 7th of 11 children. Lillian and her brothers and sisters were first born American citizens of the Anton Sander family. As a young girl, she learned the importance of family, faith, and hard work. From their farmyard, they watched the WWII bombers training at the Walker Airfield during the war years.
She married Louis “Vernon” Nowak on April 9, 1951, at Walker. Together, they made their home on the Nowak family farm north of Gorham, KS. Here they raised 7 children, the 3rd generation of Nowak’s on the family homestead.
Through the years, she made many sacrifices as a mother and housewife to raise their growing family. The challenges from both Western Kansas storms and health taught her to rely on faith and extended family to help her through. God always provided a way.
Her pride, joy and greatest success was being a mother. She excelled at managing the kitchen for large family dinners, baking the tallest Angel Food Cakes with sticky frosting, and somehow made everything taste like home with her German dishes. Lillian’s garden brought her hours of peace in picking countless gallons of schwartzbieren used for pies and kuchen. She loved planting flowers in the rich soil God provided on the farm. Her days were filled from sun-up to sun-down balancing the management of farm and family.
When she became a Grandmother, she welcomed the 4th generation of Nowak to learn life lessons on the farm. She crafted quilts, taught embroidery, and fried dozens of donut holes from her tiny kitchen. Somehow, Vernon always had the timing perfect to taste test the first few out of the sack of powdered sugar.
She and Vernon valued time spent with family playing cards and ball games, picnics with hand-cranked ice cream, long walks up the driveway, and enjoyed leading the wedding march at
the polka dances. The best ending to a long day was usually a bowl of popcorn, sometimes made extra special when Vernon would make his famous Cracker Jack.
Lillian remained on the farm with Vernon until his death on June 24, 2010. After a few years and strong encouragement from her children, she moved to Salina to be closer to family. It was a difficult decision for her to leave home and she missed the farm dearly. She was blessed to find new friendships and quality of life at Arbor Court and Dignity Care Home in her last 14 years. She left a loving impression with all her caregivers.
She was a member of Saint Mary Help of Christian Catholic Church, and a lifelong member of the Gorham Daughters of Isabella #287, St Charles Circle, and very active in her church life.
She is survived by her children, Thomas Nowak and wife Mary, Salina, KS; Kayleen Schmitt and husband, Leonard, Salina, KS; Vernetta Hammersmith and Scott Stroda, White City, KS; John Nowak, Salina, KS; Marilyn Labinski, Olathe, KS; her brother, Lawrence Sander, Salina, KS; her sisters, Sister Helen Sander CSA, Fond du Lac WI; and Rosie Nash, Dallas TX; her 13 grandchildren, Chrissy Nowak; Kelle Nowak; Melissa Phillips (Danny); Stephanie Ochs (Jeff); Jessica Bender (David); Angela Dixon (Colby); Carolyn Schmitt; Robert Hammersmith II (Gina); Dianna Dibben (Brandon); Michael Hammersmith (Amanda); Kendra Nowak; John Nowak Jr.; Jennifer Nowak; her eighteen great grandchildren; her one great great grandson; and many nieces and nephews.
She was preceded in death by her parents and her husband of 59 years, Vernon; a daughter, Barbara Nowak; son and daughter-in-law, David and Pam Nowak; a son-in-law, Robert Hammersmith; two great granddaughters, Abigail Phillips, and Torah Hull; two brothers, Daniel Sander and Louis Sander; five sisters, Mary Schuster Dinges, Sophia Zerr, Evelyn Sander,
Sister Viola Sander CSA, and Vera Hoffman.
Mass of Christian Burial will be at 10:00 A.M. Monday, January 27, 2025, at Saint Mary Help of Christian Catholic Church at Gorham with Celebrant, Father Michael Elan. Burial will be in Saint Mary Cemetery Gorham.
A Daughters of Isabella rosary will be at 6:30 P.M. Sunday, followed by a vigil service at Cline’s-Keithley Mortuary of Hays.
Visitation will be from 5:00 to 8:00 P.M. Sunday, at Cline’s-Keithley Mortuary of Hays, and from 9:00 to 10:00 A.M. Monday, at Saint Mary Help of Christian Catholic Church Gorham.
The family suggest Memorials made payable to: Dignity Care Home, Salina, (Flower & Garden Fund) or Saint Mary Cemetery, or Masses in care of Cline’s-Keithley Mortuary of Hays
1919 East 22nd Street, Hays, Kansas 67601
Condolences can be emailed to [email protected] or left by guestbook at www.keithleyfuneralchapels.com