Kerry Lynne Drahota, of Ericson, Nebraska passed away on Tuesday, July 28, 2026, at the age of 68.

Kerry was born February 11, 1958, in Coudersport, Pennsylvania, the daughter of Rodger Burt and Ardith Irene (Walters) Shutt. In 1960, Kerry lost her father due to a construction accident.

Shortly after Kerry graduated from Cowanesque Valley High School in Westfield, Pennsylvania in 1976, she enlisted in the United States Air Force. Following basic training and testing, she was placed in Air Force Intelligence; stationed at K.I. Sawyer Air Base near Marquette, Michigan and Lake Superior.

In April of 1979, while on leave, Kerry and her good friend, Jan Rice of Ord, Nebraska traveled to Nebraska. During the trip, she met her future husband, Gary Drahota. The couple was united in marriage on May 24, 1980, in Gwinn, Michigan. Kerry was transferred to the Strategic Command Center at Offit Air Base in Omaha, Nebraska in 1981, where she worked until her honorable discharge in 1984.

Kerry joined her husband, Gary, in Ericson, Nebraska until 1985, when the couple relocated to southern California. Kerry worked as an office temp secretary and was placed with various businesses around the San Diego area. Kerry thoroughly enjoyed her two years in southern California.

Upon returning to Ericson in 1987, Kerry began working at Valley County Health System as the manager of the purchasing division until retirement in 2023.

Kerry enjoyed many things; including all the old black and white movies and claimed she watched them at least twice. She took Jeep rides; discovering new unexplored back roads and trails. If faced with sketchy situations miles from help, she would always say, “go for it”.

You could find Kerry tending to her ever-expanding lawn and complaining it was getting too big. However, every year it would continue to expand. Her cherished times were spent with Gary in the shop. She would repair and build woodworking projects and proudly proclaimed she was more of a “shop girl” than a housewife. Her analytical mind would always find a better, faster and more efficient way of doing things.

Kerry was known for her razor-sharp wit and was never at a loss for a good comeback line. She never lost her little girl’s wonderment of the world and had an interest in a variety of things.

Kerry made friends easily but chose them carefully. Her friends were life long and all of them said she was the strongest person they had ever known. She was not a complainer and never blamed others for her problems, which she had many. Kerry battled four different types of cancer for 36 years. She underwent two unrelated life-threatening surgeries, tens of thousands of miles for seemingly endless chemo treatments, dozens of radiation sessions, drinking radio-active water and endless quantities of medications. Yet, when others showed pitty, she would always go to her standard line, “nobody’s fault but mine”.

She was always looking ahead and had a positive attitude. When needed, she was a fierce defender of family, friends and the US Air Force. Above all she was a loyal, devoted and wonderful wife. The world is a poorer place without Kerry Drahota.

Kerry is survived by her husband of 46 years, Gary Drahota of Ericson; a son, Brandon Drahota of Mason City; grandchildren, Jack, Jesse and Jenna Drahota; stepfather, William Schonwalder of Middlebury Center, Pennsylvania; two brothers, Rodge Shutt, Jr. of New Braunfels, Texas and Byron “Billy” Schonwalder of Osceola, Pennsylvania; and two very special friends, Jolene Baratta of Ericson and Jan Rice of Ord.

She was preceded in death by her father, Rodger and her mother, Ardith.