Ivy Lovegren

Ivy Ann Lovegren, 64, passed away peacefully on October 12, 2025.

Ivy lived a faithful life. She moved on to eternal rest on the Lord's designated day of her rest. Her life was full of grace, friendship, passion, and a million and one answers to the question, "So, how do you know that person?"

Those who had the pleasure of knowing Ivy are plentiful across the country. They all understand how charismatic, joyful, and comfortable she was with complete strangers. She never really liked the idea of people being "strangers." No matter the background, place, or time, Ivy was there to satiate her curiosity for human experience. She was ever inquisitive of all individuals' hobbies, interests, families, habits, work, and anything that made an individual an individual. It is impossible to think of Ivy without immediately regarding a connection between you and her: a new flavor of scone that you had with her, a park she loved to go to with you, or a show by which she was wholly captivated. Her passion for every little sparkle that makes life shine was infectious and penetrated the hearts of all of us. Because of this, she was never truly alone, a trait she passed on to those she cared so deeply about.

Beyond her connection with humans, Ivy nurtured a relationship with nature around her. She loved to spend her free time reading in the sunlight, watching the birds, and getting distracted studying their calls and flight patterns. She loved a good walk in the park, along the river, or even throughout the entirety of the Henry Doorley Zoo, regularly surprising her friends at the endurance she had to make it through that entire place in one day. Nothing could squash her love for the playful animals and smell of fresh air on a Spring afternoon, not even the immense exhaustion caused by walking all day in Nebraskan humidity. When staying indoors, she would entertain herself with puzzles, even more books, crafting world record tasting homemade pizzas or cheesecake, or enjoying her favorite sports teams on the TV, despite her entire family usually rooting against her beloved St. Louis Cardinals. Ivy was a unique usher of the rapid advancements of technology for her generation. She embraced social media, and loved to spend time exploring the vastly different lives of others she could connect with online. Staying in touch with loved ones across the country, exploring blogs about niche hot spots in her favorite towns, and finding captivating imagery of the places she always wanted to go are just a few ways Ivy loved to take time to explore in this new world on the internet.

Ivy is survived by her loving husband, Curt Lovegren, with whom she spent the better portion of their 45 year marriage raising a family in Omaha, Nebraska. Together they raised 6 wonderful children: Curtis, Ivan, Chester, Clarissa, Lily, and Maxwell, who went on to start lives in all corners of the country from LA to Seattle and across to the Midwest. Ivy loved to spend time with her family, playing cards (and winning at every round of Phase10), watching rom coms, exploring museums, and eating phenomenal food. Amazingly, she took up a dozen lifetimes' worth of hobbies to find ways to spend time with her family, ranging from loving theme parks to bowling and many other arcade activities. Her love of music pollinated her relationships with others, as she enjoyed watching her husband at the piano and laughing with her children as they throw a dance party in the living room. She was fascinated by her children's projects and work, from the Lego builds and messy coloring pages of their youth to complex lectures, national events, engineering feats, and the artistic expressions of their matured personalities. This cycle of encouragement repeated itself as she began her journey as a grandmother, praising and promoting her seven wonderful grandchildren through their various energetic efforts. Not a day could go by without Ivy showing off a new photo of one of her grandchildren, a smile from ear-to-ear and a heartfelt "look at how cute this is!"

She was not only an enthusiastic mother and grandmother, but also a nurturing wife. Early in their marriage, Ivy helped nurse Curt through a difficult battle with mononucleosis and she went on to support him throughout times of physical and mental exhaustion, illness, and fright. Providing for each other in the best and worst of times, the two of them thrived in their marriage from its inception in 1980 till in death they parted.

Ivy helped set an exemplary standard for a lifelong love and partnership and faith in Jesus, which she hoped would guide her loved ones in their personal journeys of human connection. While no longer the reigning 'air-hockey champion' of the family, Ivy never lost her motivation and drive to participate in the life happening around her. For Ivy, no breath was taken for granted, no smile was left uncherished, no hug was separated too quickly. There are very few people who can skillfully regale guests with stories of a breathtaking view in the Rocky Mountains on a journey across the country and stories of a new sandwich with equal excitement, tension, and marvel. Ivy was one of those special few, a trait she inherited from her father, Harold "Hal" Chase.

Survived by her husband of 45 years, Curt Lovegren; her children Curtis, Ivan (with his wife, Alexandra Wierzbicki), Chester (with his wife, Nanci A.), Clarissa, Lily Anne, and Maxwell; and her adoring grandchildren Archer, Logan, Westley, Ahkila, Harrison, Charlotte, and Luna. She is also survived by her siblings Chuck Chase, Holly Carr (née Chase), and Katie Vanzago (née Chase), along with many fantastically beloved nieces, nephews, and cousins.

Preceded in death by her parents, Harold and Inge Chase, and her brother, Bill Chase.

In lieu of flowers and gifts, the family requests you consider a donation to The Ovarian Cancer Research Alliance www.ocrahope.org. Celebration of Life TBD.

Lovingly Authored by Maxwell Frederich Lovegren