Marynola Halgard

Marynola Halgard, beloved wife, mother, educator, and Catholic, entered eternal life on May 20, 2024. She will be sorely missed by her children and her friends, particularly those in her parish, Immaculate Conception. We, her children, were shaped by her strength and her incredibly strong spirit that carried her through her 90 years.

Marynola was born on July 24, 1933 to Clarence and Marguarite (Marge) Novotny and into an extended family that included her beloved Grandma and Aunt Nola. This family was full of strong and determined women who passed on that strength to mom. She demonstrated her indomitable spirit early by toddling down the block to visit Grandma when she was only 18 months old.

At 16, determined to experience life outside of Omaha, she moved to Dallas to stay with her Aunt Nola, where she completed high school, college (North Texas State) and began work on her Masters degree.

Upon returning to Omaha, Mom met and married her husband, Bill Halgard, They eventually had five children. We fondly remember the fabulous birthday parties and Easter egg hunts that she organized for us when we were kids.

Even during her childhood, Mom loved to teach. Her favorite pastime was to play a game in which she was the teacher, and all the neighborhood children were her pupils. In an era where few women worked after getting married, Mom began a teaching career that lasted 50 years. While teaching full time and having her children, she completed her Masters in English at Creighton University and her doctorate at UNL. She loved being called DR. HALGARD!

Mom taught in many schools and at all levels, from grade school to university. Some of the schools include Indian Hills, St. Stanislaus grade school, Mary Our Queen, Duchesne College, UNO, St. Agnes and Phoenix Academy.

Mom was Principal for several years at St. Agnes, a small Catholic school in South Omaha. She was instrumental in developing the philosophy of the school, “The Four Rs: Reading, Writing, ‘Rithmatic, and Religion.” The philosophy was so successful that children from all over Omaha attended the school.

She was especially proud of bringing Oma Riggs to the school to instruct the teachers in the Spalding Method. This method increased the student’s ability to read, and was especially successful with “problem readers.”

Mom had a creative way of teaching. Her students learned Shakespeare from performing his plays, rather than just read reading them. They did the actual science experiments instead of reading about them in a book.  She just expected her students to learn and she didn’t take “I can’t” as a possibility. She told them to “leave their labels at the door.”  They rose to her expectations and she leaves behind scores of past students who remember a brilliant and talented woman who expected the best from herself and others.

Mom filled the family home with classical music, beautiful art, and classic literature. She took us to libraries, museums, the symphony, and the opera. She passed on this love of music, art, and literature to all of us. Mom loved to play strategy board games with her children and enjoyed the spirit of competition (OK, she hated to lose!)

Mom loved Jesus and her Catholic faith. She studied the Bible regularly and once took the Marian Catechist course. She combined her love of the faith and her love of books by starting the bookstore at St. Patricks (which later moved to Immaculate Conception Church). She loved sharing good books on the Catholic faith with others, and parishioners came to her for advice on reading material. She attended daily Mass for many years until she was unable to do so. She prayed her Rosary daily.

During the last years of her life Mom’s health declined. After Dad died several members of her parish stepped forward to help with her care, and we are particularly grateful to them. We are also grateful to the staff of St. Joseph Villa, who afforded mother kind and compassionate care during her final months.

Mom was preceded in death by her husband, parents, grandparents, and cousins, and one child, Catherine. She looked forward to reuniting with them in heaven.

She is survived by her children, Mike, Cindy (John), Christine (Rick),and Mary (Michael), 10 grandchildren, one great grandchild, her brother Jim Novotny and sister-in-law Beverly Novotny, and numerous cousins.