Rev. Jane L. Ellefson, 85, of Columbus, Nebraska, died Monday, January 20, 2025, at Stanton Health Center, Stanton, Nebraska.

A Celebration of Life service be held on Saturday, March 22 at 10:30 AM, at the Federated Church in Columbus with Rev. Dr. Edward Yang officiating.  There will be a visitation on Friday, March 21 from 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM at Gass Haney Funeral Home and continue on Saturday from 9:30 AM until service time at the church.  Interment will be Evergreen Cemetery in Lee County, Illinois, at a later date.

Jane Louise Ellefson was born on February 21, 1939 in Aberdeen, Washington, the third and youngest child of Raymond Ellefson and Gretchen (Hodges) Ellefson. When she was a young girl, the family moved to Columbus, Nebraska, where she graduated from high school in 1957.

In 1959, she married Fred Kluck. To this union two sons were born, Frederick and Douglas. After spending nine years living and working on the family farm, they moved to Lincoln. In 1970 she graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Music Education and in 1977 received her Masters in Education, both from UNL. She worked for the Lincoln Public Schools as a music teacher and then took the position of Educational Equity Coordinator until 1980. At that time, she attended Yale Divinity School for one year and then returned to Lincoln.  She served as a chaplain at Bryan Memorial Hospital. She eventually finished her Divinity Degree at St. Paul School of Theology in Kansas City. She then went to work full-time at First Plymouth Congregational Church in Lincoln. Seeing a need in the homeless population, she helped found Day Watch in 1989.

In 1991 she traveled to Peki, Ghana, Africa, where she taught music and practical theology at a seminary for lay church leaders. She immersed herself in the culture and music and learned to speak the language of the Ewe people. Upon her return to the States in 1997, she served as minister at First Congregational United Church of Christ in Burwell, Nebraska, and at Federated Church in Columbus. After retiring, she continued to serve as a supply minister for the UCC Church.

She was a lifelong lover of music and reading. In her retirement, she bought her dream home, a cabin on a lake in Columbus. Here she spent many hours gardening, visiting with friends, and going on long walks with her Boston Terrier "Ibo."

Preceding her in death were her parents, sister and brother-in-law Adrianne and Hartley Rogers, brother John Ellefson, and sister-in-law Judy Shirek Ellefson.

She is survived by sons Frederick Kluck (Myra) of Mankato, MN, Douglas Kluck (Julie) of Kansas City, MO, grandchildren Johanna Kluck of Durham, NC and Vaughn Kluck of Kansas City, MO, sister-in-law Elaine Morgan of Albuquerque, NM, as well as numerous nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends.