Nila Filby

Nila Irene Bell Filby, age 88, died on Tuesday, June 11 at Geary Community Hospital. A memorial service will be held on Saturday, June 22, at 10:30 a.m. at Penwell-Gabel's Mass Hinitt Chapel in Junction City. It will be preceded by a visitation at 10:00 a.m. Following burial of the remains at Highland Cemetery a luncheon will be held at the First United Methodist Church.

Nila was born on May 15, 1925 to Ruby Bell (previously Romano Ghibaudo) and Alice Lydia Rants Bell Dunn in Osborne, Kansas. She was the oldest of three sisters followed by Norma Jean and Naida Jane. She moved with her family to Junction City in 1942 and graduated from Junction City High School in 1943.

She married Buddy James Filby on April 6, 1947 and had three children, Linda Kay, Jeffrey Barton, and Susan Irene. She was a homemaker for more than twenty years before returning to the workforce as a clerk in the Water Department of the City of Junction City, a position she held for seventeen years before retiring in 1989.

Nila also served her community as a volunteer for many organizations including the Geary County Historical Society, Geary Community Hospital Auxiliary, Red Cross Blood Mobile, Friends of the Dorothy Bramlage Public Library, First United Methodist Church, and the Geary County Clerk's office as an election worker. She was an original member of the Gamma Phi Chapter of the Epsilon Sigma Alpha service sorority and at times also served as its President.

She was a kind, open-hearted woman whose first love was spending time with her family and friends. This includes the members of "The Girls Bridge Club," with many of whom she shared the bonds of friendship for over fifty years. She also loved to garden and to cook and was a lifelong reader who always had an open book on her bedside table.

Nila was preceded in death by her parents and her son. She is survived by her sisters, Norma Horner and Naida Sanders; her daughters, Linda Filby-Fisher and husband Mike, and Susan Moyer and husband John; her daughter-in-law, Melissa Filby-Walsh; four nieces, Randee Sanders Werts and husband Steve, Sandy Sanders, Peggy Horner Roeser and husband Mark, and Sherry Horner Boyer; three grandsons, Laben Fisher and wife Jessie, Jess Fisher and wife Anna, and Jeremy Filby and wife Amy; and four great grandchildren, Kylie Hanebrink, Kaden Fisher, Connor Fisher, and Jenna Filby.

Memorial contributions may be made in her memory to the Dorothy Bramlage Public Library, 230 West Seventh Street, Junction City, Kansas 66441.