Cornelia Anne (Ferrell) Taff

Funeral services were held on Wednesday, May 31, at 2 p.m. at the Extension Chapel outside of Whiteclay, Neb., with James Ferrell officiating. Burial followed at the Extension Cemetery.

Cornelia Anne (Ferrell) Taff was born June 7, 1947, to Alec and Dorothy (Sellers) Ferrell in Franklin, Tenn. Anne passed away peacefully in her home the evening of May 27, 2017, after fighting cancer for several years.

Anne grew up in northeast Nashville, Tenn. Through high school and college, she was active in basketball, church choir, and other church related activities. She graduated from Carson-Newman College in Jefferson City, Tenn., in 1969 with a bachelor’s degree in history. One of the highlights of her college experience was to be the quarterback for her sorority’s powder puff football team.

After spending a year in the workforce, Anne attended Middle Tennessee State University for a master’s in education. She applied for several jobs all over the country and ultimately took a position in Pine Ridge, S.D., as the director of the girls’ dorm in the fall of 1971.

During Anne’s tenure in Pine Ridge, she taught physical education, played on a local basketball team and became involved with Lakota Baptist Church.  She also weathered the Wounded Knee incident of 1973 and made the transition from a Camaro-driving city girl to a Jeep-driving country girl: hunting deer, off-roading in her Jeep and motorcycle, and taking students on canoe trips. Through the church, she met James (Jim) Maurice Taff, Jr., and married him July 29, 1976. They settled in the Extension Community near Whiteclay, Neb.

Anne became an educator in Pine Ridge Extension School District #129 and Rushville, Neb., schools. Her priority in life, however, was to be a mother, and she left the workforce while her children were young in order to stay home with them.

Anne enjoyed reading, athletics, hunting, history, music, gardening, woodworking, camping, canoeing, cooking, and traveling to visit family and friends.  She passed on her knowledge and passion for many of these activities to her children, grandchildren, and community, through programs like 4-H, VBS, Good News Club, camping trips, community melodramas. Anne played many different roles in Lakota Baptist Church.

Although Anne became a proud Cornhusker and loved her home in the panhandle of Nebraska, she never forgot her southern roots and was known to bring the only chess pie to community events. As an extension of her southern hospitality, caring for family and friends defined her life.  In her later years, she delighted in her grandchildren and loved to teach, mentor, and love on them.

Anne is survived by daughter, Ginny and Kaleb Center, son, Josh and Christie Taff, son, Jed and Ashley Taff, sister, Kathy Garcia, sister, Jane and Tim Cottengim, brother, Jim and Donna Ferrell, brother, Rick and Rhonda Ferrell, eight grandchildren and many nieces and nephews.

Anne was preceded in death by her husband Jim and parents Alec and Dot Ferrell.

Online condolences can be made at www.chamberlainchapel.com

Chamberlain Chapel is in charge of arrangements.

Funeral services for Anne Taff of Rushville, Neb., will be held on Wednesday, May 31, 2017, at 2 p.m. at the Extension Chapel in Whiteclay, Neb., with James Ferrell officiating.  Burial will be at Extension Cemetery.

Anne passed away on May 27, 2017, at her home in Rushville, Neb.

Anne was born on June 7, 1947, in Franklin, Tenn.

She was 69.

Online condolences can be made at www.chamberlainchapel.com

Chamberlain Chapel is in charge of arrangements.