Elizabeth Lee (Nichols) Abel, 99, of Lincoln passed away Friday, April 17th, 2020. Born November 28, 1920 in Omaha, Nebraska to Clayton Schrim & Elizabeth Lee (Sturtavant) Nichols.
Betty graduated from Omaha North High in 1938 where she was a class officer and member of the Honor Society. She graduated from the University of Nebraska in 1942 from the College of Arts and Sciences majoring in English and Spanish with minors in Botany and Art. She was a member of Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority.
In 1941, Betty was elected UNL Prom Queen by the Innocents Society, which led to an invitation to visit Hollywood as a typical Nebraska college co-ed in connection with Nebraska’s participation in the Rose Bowl, the school’s 1st bowl game. Betty was featured in the Omaha World Herald “Seeing Stars with Betty” where she was photographed with Henry Fonda, Cary Grant, Robert Taylor, and her favorite Mickey Rooney.
It was also at the University of Nebraska she met George P. Abel and later married on December 25, 1942. George was a member of the Nebraska Rose Bowl Team.
In celebrating Memorial Stadium’s 300 consecutive “sellouts”, Betty was recognized for attending all 300 games.
Betty shared a love for golf with George, and even though George was a gifted athlete lettering at the University in football and track when it came to golf he was no match for Betty. Betty was a great competitor, playing in many City of Lincoln and State tournaments, almost always being in the championship flight. She recorded 2 hole-in-ones, was the woman’s golf champion at Sunrise Country Club in 1989, and played in the inaugural round at Quarry Oaks golf club which she helped design.
Betty was a Director of NEBCO, Inc. and the Abel Foundation. She was a lifetime member of the University of Nebraska Alumni Association and a Trustee of the University of Nebraska Foundation. She served on the Lied Center for Performing Art’s 1st Advisory Board, and was a member of 1st Plymouth Congregational Church, the Lincoln Children’s Zoo, UNL Garden Friends, Junior League, Nebraska Wesleyan Huntington Society, the American Legion Auxiliary, Lincoln Community Playhouse, and the Sheldon Art Gallery.
Betty will also be remembered for her compassion and kindness to others, her quick wit, positive attitude, attention to style, and her grace in aging.
In addition to her parents and husband, Betty is preceded in death by daughter Judy.
She is survived by her children John C. Abel and James P (Mary) Abel; grandsons Jack P. (Kayla) Abel and Philip C. Abel; great grandson George M; and nephews Dennis (Christine) Ragen, Brian Ragen, Tom (Sue) Tallman, Scott (Laurie) Tallman, and Mark Tallman.
Private family graveside on Tuesday, April 21st, 2020. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Lincoln Children’s Zoo.