MITCHELL – Carolee Nye Staman, 87, passed away peacefully in her sleep on Saturday, February 8, 2025, in Rosenburg, Texas. A Celebration of Life will be held at 10:30 a.m. on March 31, 2025, at Mitchell Berean Church (50680 Cook Oil Rd, Mitchell, Nebraska 69357) in Mitchell with Reverend Ben Phillips officiating. Interment will take place at a later date at the Clayton Memorial Cemetery in Clayton, New Mexico. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Church of Celebration of Life. Family memorials can be sent to the Granger Family 6505 Sprigg St., Fulshear, Texas 77441.
Carolee was born September 2, 1937, in Mound Valley, Kansas. She was the daughter of Ellis Lyndon Nye and Edna (Brandenburg) Nye. They moved to Mt. Dora, New Mexico when she was 2 years old.
Carolee was raised on a sheep farm after they moved to Mt. Dora and she could remember herding the sheep for sale from their farm to the train yards with her father.
It wasn’t until she graduated from Clayton High School in 1955 that she moved to Amarillo where she attended and graduated from secretarial school at Draughon’s School of Business. When she wasn’t doing schoolwork, she spent weekends going to square dances with friends. After graduation she worked at Amarillo Air Force Base and then moved to Albuquerque, New Mexico to work at Kirtland Air Force Base as a stenographer for the military.
On October 1, 1960, she married Lawrence Elmer Granger in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Their marriage was blessed with two sons and a daughter. In 1973 Carolee moved to Mitchell where she kept books for the company they built together, Panhandle Boiler Service. Later she would go on to have a full career using her skills working at First National Bank and Platte Valley Bank.
Carolee was always involved in her children’s activities. Her roles in the community included acting as the co-leader for the Girl Scouts in Mitchell and being a member of Federated Church and Ladies Clubs. She loved playing cards, camping, boating, sewing, gardening and canning.
Carolee was united in marriage to Donald Eugene Staman in Scottsbluff, Nebraska on April 25, 1987, and with this marriage came three step-children. They lived in the Lake Alice area, ranching and enjoying life. Carolee and Don loved to dance and square dancing was best of all. They would hold down some office duty most every year and were members of the Panhandle Federation Square Dance Association. Carolee and Don were co-chairman for the Nebraska State Square and Round Dance Convention held in Scottsbluff in 1993 and again in Hastings, Nebraska in 1999. They were both avid square dancers, starting when they were teenagers. They attended 14 Night-Owl-Dances, where guests dance all night until 5 a.m. the next morning. Carolee loved to listen to the music and tap her feet when she wasn’t dancing. She also sewed all her own square dance outfits.
Carolee loved to be surrounded by friends and family. She held annual picnics at her cabin on Little Lake Alice for their Square Dance club and for the Scottsbluff Extension Club.
Donald and Carolee took many trips, from Billings, Montana to Galveston, Texas, from Washington D.C to Albuquerque, New Mexico and Hawaii, always enjoying all of the sights.
Survivors include children, Bruce (Lynn) Granger of Fulshear, Texas, David Granger of Scottsbluff and Marlene Granger-Keller of Richmond, Texas; stepchildren Brad (Linda) Staman of Gering, Bryan (Amie) Staman of Honolulu, Hawaii and Kevin (Jenise) of Scottsbluff. Five grandchildren, Jessica, Natasha, Joshua, Jaylee and Kayden; one great grandchild Bodhi; sister-in-law Pam Nye of Albuquerque; and sister-in-law Darlene Hall of Mullen, Nebraska; and several nieces and nephews.
Carolee was preceded in death by her husband Donald E. Staman, parents, and two brothers, Bob Nye, and Richard “Dick” Nye.
