From her written memoirs it is clear that the early childhood days in Steele City held fond memories for Amaryllis. However, as the depression years set in, Elsie could no longer be employed (two wage-earners in one household was frowned upon), and the family moved to Fairbury. Amaryllis attended East School, Fairbury Jr. High, and graduated from Fairbury High School in 1944. Despite the hardships of the depression, her parents ensured that she was given opportunities to join Girl Scouts and knitting club, to take art, swimming, and piano lessons, and to attend summer church and Girl Scout camps. She was proud to be “big sister” to her only sibling, Carlene. Elsie loved to travel and organized family trips that inspired a generational love of travel. Carl had served as an usher when Memorial Stadium opened in Lincoln, and the family regularly attended Husker games.
Amaryllis became an accomplished pianist and developed a love for singing. She attended Nebraska Wesleyan University (her mother’s alma mater) where she studied voice, piano and organ. She played for church services, sang in the Chapel Choir, and participated in theatre productions including several musicals. She was particularly fond of her activities as a member of the Delta Zeta Sorority, including singing with the Delta Zeta Trio. After graduation, Amaryllis returned to Fairbury where she taught English and Music and soon was hired as choir director at First Christian Church, positions that she held over a period of 50 years.
In 1950, she married fellow teacher Roy Holloway. That union produced her pride and joy, her three children Jane, Peggy and Steve. The Holloway house was full of music, books, and the love of traveling and theatre. From summer evenings singing songs in 3-part harmony on the porch swing, to piano, flute, and drum lessons, and the participation of the entire family in Fairbury community theatre productions, Amaryllis instilled her family with a love of music, just as she did for generations of piano, voice and public school students. It was no surprise that all three children became professional musicians. Amy earned her Master’s degree at UNL in 1970 at a time when the School of Music was adopting the teaching methods of Mary Helen Richards in their education courses. Amy incorporated those methods into her own teaching and in music education courses she taught at Southeast Community College. Amy performed in and directed many theatre productions over the years with the Fairbury Area Community Theatre, the Thayer County Tumbleweed Players, and at the Brown Grand Opera House.
In 1990, Amaryllis married “the love of her life,” Dr. Daniel Gerber, whom she had met through their participation in church choir and the Jefferson County Singers, and they moved to Concordia KS where Dan had taken a position at Cloud County Community
College. Amaryllis returned to teaching elementary music part-time as well as teaching piano lessons at home and voice lessons at the college. The Gerbers quickly became respected leaders in their new community. Amaryllis took on the choir director position at First Methodist Church where she served until she retired at age 90! She was on the Board of the Community Concert Association and she and Dan were active with the Crusader’s Sunday School Class and the Cloud County Senior Center. They loved travel, especially their trips to Dan’s family reunions in Ohio and Virginia, international adventures with Dan’s sister Nancy and brother-in-law Wes, and the annual Sunday School class “Mystery Tours” of Kansas. Amy loved traveling to attend the musical and theatrical performances of her children and grand-daughters and the football games and wrestling matches played and coached by her grandsons. She remained a life-long fan of Nebraska Husker and Fairbury High School football.
Amy was involved with many organizations throughout her life including Eastern Star, serving as Worthy Matron, the DAR (she received a 70 year member certificate last summer), Improvement Club, Music Club, and PEO, which she attended up until last year. Amy’s creative school and church music programs were legendary, and she enjoyed writing and presenting programs that incorporated music for her many organizations.
Amy was devoted to her friends and family. Once you were Amy’s friend, you were her friend for life. Lifetime friends included childhood friends Audrey Reynolds Haynes and the Phil Gibson family, sorority sisters Maria Ross and Mary Watts, fellow teachers Betty Munoz, Mary Lou Foster, and Mary Johnson, and Concordia friends Peggy and Paul Nelson and Connie and Phil Bentz. Amy adored her grandchildren and great-grand-children who idolized their Grandma Amy. She was also close to Dan’s family who thought fondly of her. Amy loved perpetuating unique and special family traditions, which included annual viewing of favorite movies such as White Christmas and Pride and Prejudice, singing “The 12 Days of Christmas” using themed drinking glasses as props, and the delightful “performance” of a trio arrangement of “Grandma’s Thanksgiving” with her daughters, and recently, her grandson and grandson-in-law. Memorial Day always involved a family visit to the cemeteries in Fairbury and Steele City, followed by lunch at The Salty Dog.
In her later years, Amy experienced health problems and was blessed to be cared for by her husband Dan. His sudden death from a stroke in 2021 was devastating, but her family stepped in and arranged care for her at home in Concordia. Last summer, her life went full circle as she moved to Country House Residence in Lincoln to be closer to her family. Regular visits from friends and family blessed her days. On February 9th, 16 family members filled a party room to celebrate the 98th birthday of their beloved Amy.
Amaryllis was preceded in death by her husband Dan, her parents, her sister Carlene and brother-in-law Bill Sinn, and great grand-daughter Elsie Marie. Her memory is now preserved and treasured by her children Jane Garfield (Jim) of Central City, Peggy Holloway (Ken Peters) of Omaha and Steve Holloway of Brooklyn, NY; her step-sons Daniel Timothy Gerber (Luann) of Onalaska,WI and Jared Gerber (Kristine) of Omaha; 5 grandchildren Derek Garfield (Stephanie) of Fairbury, Darin Garfield (Chevonne) of Central City and Danae Garfield (Doug Evans) of Lincoln and Meganne Horrocks (Craig Bond) and David Horrocks of Omaha; 4 great-grand-children, 4 step-grandsons and 1 step-great-grandson. In addition, she will be remembered by her step-brother and sisters, her nephews and countless other relatives and friends.
A graveside service at the Steele City Cemetery and a memorial gathering will be held at a later date. Memorials may be directed to the Nebraska Wesleyan Department of Music and First United Methodist Church of Concordia, Kansas.