Kimberly J. Cassell, 60, passed away on Wednesday, September 22, 2021, at the Jennie M. Melham Memorial Medical Center in Broken Bow.
Funeral Services will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Friday, October 1, 2021; at the Heartland Assembly of God Church in Ord, Nebraska. Pastor Tom Burkholder will officiate. Burial will be in the Verdurette Cemetery in Sherman County, Nebraska. Visitation will be held on Thursday from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. at the Ord Memorial Chapel.
In lieu of flowers memorials are suggested to the Heartland Youth Ranch or Heartland Assembly of God Church.
Kimberly June Petersen was born on June 4, 1961 at the Valley County Hospital in Ord to Donald and Evelyn “Mickey” (Paddock) Petersen. Her parents divorced when she was young.
Kimberly lived in Ord, attending Ord Public Schools. In 1973, Mickey married Bernard Kowalski and the family moved to Comstock. Kim was still able to attend Ord Jr-Sr High, graduating in 1979.
Kim married Robert “Bob” Smith at the Holy Cross Lutheran Church in Kearney on August 23, 1983. They resided in Kearney where their children, Shilo and Shane, were born. They moved to Broken Bow in January of 1991, where Tyler was born. The couple later divorced.
On October 16, 1999, Kim married Travis Cassell at Grace Bible Church in Loup City. The couple resided in Westerville and welcomed daughter, Caitlin, born in Broken Bow. The couple lived in Broken Bow,Greeley, CO, and Ord, before Kim moved into Off Broadway in Broken Bow.
Kim ran a small daycare out of her home in Kearney. She also worked for Mid Nebraska in Broken Bow and for the Humane Society in Greeley, CO.
Kim was always a devoted cowgirl. She loved animals and lived on a farm as long as she was physically able to. She got her older children involved in 4H, where they showed animals at the Custer County Fair. Kim had a passion for horses and kept both horses and ponies over the years.
Kim loved children, had a special way with babies and also cared greatly for individuals with disabilities. Throughout her life, she helped family and friends with childcare and babysitting. Kim’s dream was to help others through equine therapy.
Kim is survived by her husband, Travis Cassell; her children, Shilo (Matt) Birnie of Central City, Shane Smith of Central City, Tyler (Ashley) Smith of Broken Bow, and Caitlin Cassell of Kissimmee, FL; sisters, Cheryl Story of Ellsworth, WI, Diane Fischer of Kearney, and Penny Petersen of Kissimmee, FL; sister-in-law, Tonya Cassell of Papillion; brother-in-law, Tracey (Wilma) Cassell of Broken Bow; grandkids, Caleb, Titus, Kali, and Ella Birnie of Central City and Alexander Smith of Broken Bow; and many nieces, nephews, and cousins.
Kim was preceded in death by her parents; brother, Jess Wilcox; aunts; uncles; and cousins.
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