Agnes S. Adams, 74, of Lincoln, NE passed away peacefully on February 26, 2015 after spending a long life of defying the odds and living the way she wanted. She will be remembered for her kindness, love of learning, sense of fun, and warm friendship.
Born in Pekin, IL to Vern and Agnes (Johns) Slagel on January 18, 1941. Agnes was the first in her family to attend college. She received a degree from Southern Illinois University and went on to earn a Masters of Information Science from the University of Missouri.
She retired as the Director of Collection Management and Development from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln as a tenured Full Professor in 2004 after a 25-year career in the library system. During that time she served on countless committees including as Vice President of the Faculty Senate, as a member of the Chancellor’s Commission on the Status of Women, and on the Benefits Committee as an advocate for UNL faculty and staff. She continued to be involved after her retirement, serving as Treasurer of the UNL Emeriti Association.
She loved books – both professionally as a librarian and personally as a voracious reader of mysteries. As a young girl who was too sick to leave the house for a year, she discovered the world through reading and never forgot its power. She began working in a library in high school and never looked back.
She loved fly fishing and spent many years on the Executive Board of the Cornhusker Fly Fishers, being proud of their work for youth education and habitat preservation. Whether standing in the middle of an Australian stream at night under the Southern Cross constellation or by a small lake in Nebraska, she felt at peace. She has made arrangements so her ashes will be scattered in fly fishing streams around the world – some she fished, others which she never got the chance to. Please feel free to share any recommendations with her son.
She enjoyed traveling and connecting with new cultures, first catching the travel bug when she fearlessly explored Mexico and Latin America by motorcycle in the 1960s during her college years. In addition to extensive travel in the United States, she was happy to have made the journey to Australia and New Zealand, as well as a recent trip by rail across Canada. As an ambassador of Friendship Force of Lincoln, she was delighted to welcome visitors to Lincoln, believing that a smile, a handshake, and a shared meal could promote peace and understanding. In that spirit, she was a volunteer with Lincoln Literacy, helping tutor English to non-native speakers.
She appreciated beauty and art, spending time in her later life as a docent at the Sheldon Museum of Art. She was a founding member of their “Artful Readers” book club.
She loved her friends and enjoyed going out for coffee. She loved throwing a party, particularly her annual Mardi Gras party, making way too much food and never kicking anybody out until the party decided that it was over. A good margarita was her elixer and her family is proud they sneaked a margarita into the hospital this Fat Tuesday so she could have one last sip.
Even with all the amazing things she did and was involved in, her son Patrick was the center of her world. She was a single mom who set a strong example and raised up a good man.
She is preceded in death by her brother Charles “Chuck” Slagel, of Pekin, IL. She is survived by her son and daughter-in-law, Patrick Adams and Laura Reznicek, of Lincoln; sister Laura McClister, of Pekin, IL; sister Cheryl Slagel, of Peoria, IL. Also surviving are nieces Diane, Serena, and Sonia; and nephews Darren and Tony. They will all miss her very much.
A celebration of life is planned for 2 PM on Saturday, March 21st at Chez Hay, 210 North 14th Street, Lincoln. All who were lucky enough to know and love her are welcome.