She earned her RN at a young age and worked as a country nurse on horseback, delivering babies and treating patients as needed. She met the love of her life, Gabriel A. (Jeff) Jeffries Sr., while he was attending college in Tres Rios, Costa Rica. They were introduced by a lifelong friend, Emma Arguetta, with whom Dalila spent many years in Lincoln, NE in their old age.
As Gabriel Sr. graduated college and prepared to be a minister, they were married and started lives of service and sacrifice as Missionaries for the 7th day Adventist church throughout Central America and the Caribbean. They ministered to churches, started new churches, managed church schools, and provided spiritual and physical healing with Dalila’s nursing skills. She provided care, caring for sick people, stitching cuts, and delivering dozens of babies over the years.
The family moved in 1963 to St. Croix in the US Virgin Islands to support three churches and a church school. In 1971, after losing Gabriel Jr. in Viet Nam, the family moved to Lincoln, NE. While the family attended school, Dalila worked at Tabitha health to help support the family.
After Gabriel Sr. earned his ED degree, the family returned to the mission field in Nicaragua. Shortly after, a communist regime took control of the government and forced them to flee to Honduras in the middle of the night. With only the clothes on their backs, they fled their home and everything in it.
Later, in the 80’s and due to Gabriel Sr.’s failing health, they returned to Lincoln where he passed away. After Gabriel’s death, Dalila spent a few years living with son Royce and traveling to see family and friends. After a few years she returned to a life of service, moving to Lexington, NE to pastor the Seventh day Adventist church there. Several years later and in her seventies, she retired for good. She spent time with friends, keeping busy with her garden, cooking and baking for herself, and anyone with an appetite. Despite health challenges, she continued to thrive, spending summers with Royce & Janet in their home in Minnesota, wanting to take over kitchen and garden duties.
In 2001, Royce & Janet moved back to Lincoln to be near Dalila and other family, but in her last few years, her declining health slowed her down. Still, her garden flourished and she knitted blankets for babies and friends and, each year through Catholic charities, almost 100 hats for the homeless. Even with her health challenges, she enjoyed teaching her home helpers to knit, cook, and even make bread.
Her lifelong loves were her family, especially grand and great grand children, gardening, baking, cooking, natural herbal medicine, knitting, reading, and fishing. Everyone who visited her was envious of how her plants thrived year-round. If she had one regret it was that she could not go fishing one more time. She was very happy sitting in a boat or on the shore with a rod in her hand.
This past year was difficult as her health continued to decline and she was admitted to the hospital three times. Having lived a full life, she told her family she was ready to meet the Lord. Through her words and her living example, we know faith was the center of Dalila’s life, so we celebrate her departure from her earthly bonds as she goes on to receive her reward for a life of service and sacrifice.
Family members include her son Royce (Janet) Jeffries, Waverly, NE; daughter Verna (Leonardo) Mencias, Comayaguela, Honduras; grandchildren Joshua, Shaun, Joseph, Vincent, Andrew, Belinda, Jillian, Leonardo, and Sheldon; many great grandchildren and great great grandchildren; brothers Franklin and Esteban; sisters Marissa and Catalina; many nieces, nephews and many friends and neighbors who have come to know and love her over the years in all of the places she has lived and served.
Preceded in death by her parents, husband Gabriel A. Jeffries, Sr., son Gabriel A. Jeffries, Jr., daughter Patricia (Rob) Hickman, brothers and sisters Rosendo, Hezer, Alexis, Florinda, Fanny, Lael, Kilia, and Matilde.
Funeral Service: 2:00 p.m. Monday (7-11-22) Lincoln Seventh-day Adventist Church, 5701 SW 12th Street. Burial to follow in the College View Cemetery, 70th & Pioneers.
Visitation with family present from 4-6 pm Sunday (7-10-22) at Roper and Sons Midtown Chapel, 4300 ‘O’ St.
Memorials to the family for future designation.