Joann J. Dubas

Joann J. Dubas, 87, of Clarks, passed away on Aug. 13, 2026, at her home, 3 days shy of her 88th birthday. Funeral services will be held on Wednesday, Aug. 19, 2026, at 10 a.m. at St. Peter’s Catholic Church in Clarks. Visitation will be held on Tuesday, Aug. 18 from 5-7 p.m. with a 7 p.m. Rosary Service at the church.  Interment will be held at the Calvary Cemetery in Clarks.

Memorials are suggested to the family to be designated at a later time.  Condolences may be sent to the family at www.soltwagnerfuneral.com.

Joann Joyce Janulewicz was born on Aug. 16, 1938, at home near Loup City to Anton and Barbara (Spotanski) Janulewicz.  She attended rural schools until the 8th grade and graduated from Loup City High School in 1955.  She then attended Kearney Teacher’s College for 8 weeks to obtain her Teacher’s Certificate to teach in rural schools.  She taught one year at Sherman County.

She met Eldon Dubas on a blind date in 1955, and they were married Aug. 25, 1956.  To this union were seven children: Richard, Timothy, Edward, Diane, Nancy, Sandra, and Robert.  She taught in a rural school in Merrick County for one year, she then stayed home to raise her family.  She was a stay-at-home mom who was always busy helping out with chores on the farm, tending to her garden, canning, freezing, and butchering chickens.  She always had a green thumb with her plants and a garden full of vegetables and beautiful flowers.  She took great pride in her beautiful lawn.  She also enjoyed sewing, often sewing her children’s clothes and a lot of her own clothes as well as doll clothes.  She made many quilts for her children and grandchildren. She also enjoyed embroidering. She embroidered many sets of quilt blankets, pillowcases, dresser scarves and tea towels.

Eldon and Joann loved polka music and attended many polka festivals in several surrounding states and made many lifelong friends that way.  Her most recent hobbies were word searches, word jumbles, and scratch tickets. She didn’t win big, but big enough to make her happy. She was also a member of St. Peter’s Catholic Church in Clarks.

Those left to cherish her memory are three sons, Richard (Betty) Dubas of Clarks, Timothy Dubas of Central City, and Robert (Emily) Dubas of Clarks; three daughters, Diane Vassar of Grand Island, Nancy VanDyke of Columbus, and Sandra Backer of Columbus; brother, Jim Janulewicz of Clarks; sister, Delores Michalek of Hastings; sisters-in-law, Beata Nabity of Grand Island and Dorothy Dubas of Omaha; grandchildren, Jeremy (Megan) Dubas, Jason (Alycia Weigel) Dubas, Samantha Bender, Jesse (Amanda) Dubas, Ashley (Sean) Fritz, Jamie (Jesse) Short, Ryan Bronson, Rachel Bronson, Jacey Dubas, Caleb Dubas, and Ellie Dubas; great-grandchildren, Kenzie, Hayes and Harrison Dubas, Camryn, Brooke, Skylar and Lane Bender, Beckett and Cooper Dubas, Carsyn and Brynn Fritz.

Joann was preceded in death by her husband, Eldon Dubas; son, Edward Dubas; her parents, Anton and Barbara Janulewicz; brother-in-law, Ron Michalek; sister-in-law, Irma Janulewicz Margaret Dubas; her parents-in-law, William and Anna Dubas; brothers-in-law, Bernard and Conrad Dubas; sister and brother-in-law, Ruth and Ray Kula; and brother-in-law, Alfred Nabity; and her beloved pet, Milo.