Valeria Julia Thayer was born on Feb. 16, 1913 at Odell, Neb. She was the second of three children born to Lyman and Wilhelmina (Hart) Bednar.
Val grew up south of Wymore, Neb. where she attended Lower Sicily, a one-room country school. After graduating from high school in Wymore she received normal training certification and returned to Lower Sicily, where she taught grades one through eight from 1930-1934. The next year she taught for one year at the country school in Gritt, Neb.
Valeria graduated from the University of Nebraska at Lincoln in 1928 with a Bachelor of Science degree in education. She accepted a teaching position at Farnam, Neb., and it was there where she met Marion Thayer who was teaching music. Marion and Val were married on June 12, 1941, in Beatrice, Neb. Three children were born to this union.
They moved to Grant in 1942 where Marion was the music teacher and Val taught business in Perkins County High School. After the birth of her third child she chose to stay home and raise the children. Val continued to maintain her home after Marion died in 2002. After suffering a stroke, Val moved to Westview Retirement Community in 2007.
Val enjoyed living at Westview until moving to the Imperial Manor in 2012 to be closer to her daughter. She moved to Los Alamos, N.M., this past December where she lived with her son until she died on Jan. 13, 2014, a few weeks before her 101st birthday.
Valeria was an active member of the Grant First Congregational Church for over 70 years. She was a member of the Order of Eastern Star. She had a strong interest in the Hastings Memorial Library in Grant and had served on the board and was active as a volunteer.
Val was always involved in some form of teaching throughout her life whether as a den mother for Cub Scouts, 4-H leader, or serving as an officer in her different organizations. She had a doll collection from all over the world and loved showing them to different people, especially to elementary school children.
In addition to her husband, Val was preceded in death by her brothers, William and Stanley Bednar.
She is survived by her children Gary and wife Nina Thayer of Los Alamos, Marlea Thompson of Imperial and Russ Thayer of Wichita, Kan.; grandchildren, Tamra and husband Luis Miaja of Louisville, Colo., and Timothy and wife Gina Thayer of Ft. Collins; great-grandsons, Adrian Miaja and Toby and Simon Thayer; other relatives and friends.
A committal service was held on Jan. 20, 2014, at the Odell Czech Cemetery.
Bullock-Long Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.