Juanita Lou Cheeney peacefully returned to her heavenly home January 4, 2025 surrounded by family. Juanita (Nita), born November 7, 1942 was the third of four daughters born to Theodore and May Elizabeth Ebersole.

Growing up, her family lived in Northern California, and Southern Oregon, then eventually landed in Las Vegas, Nevada when Nita was in high school.
Her family then moved to Panaca, Nevada in 1964, where soon after she met her husband Frank Cheeney. Frank and Nita married April 1, 1966, making Pioche their home. They soon had two children, Julieann and Frankie. Frank ended up getting a job for NDOT, which required them to move their family to the Geyser Maintenance Station near the Lincoln-White Pine county line.

Nita loved it out there and later said it was the some of best years of her life. She often talked about all the family picnics while there and told stories about living a peaceful and simple life in that remote location. She always wished they could have stayed.

While at Geyser, their third and final child, Shane, was born. They soon moved back to town as NDOT closed the Geyser Maintenance Station. They found their forever home in Pioche. There she lovingly finished raising her three children. She often said that her children were the greatest blessing of her life. She was very proud of her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.

Nita loved her family unconditionally and spent most of her time taking care of them. She also took care of many friends and neighbors in the community. She loved God and the Savior Jesus Christ with all her heart mind and soul. She studied the teachings of Christ every day. She loved her sisters. They were so much of a part of her life that they talked to each other every day. They laughed and cried about everything in life. She would tell them about all her grandchildren and the great-grandbabies every day. There wasn’t a day that went by that she didn’t update her sisters on the day-to-day activities of her family. She and her sisters were very close despite living so far away from each other.

Nita spent her life taking care of others, it did not matter who you were or where you came from, she loved everyone unconditionally and made sure that everyone’s needs were met.

Nita is survived by her sons: Frank (Lori) Cheeney, and Shane (Rita) Cheeney; and son-in-law Larry Stever all of Pioche. She is also survived by her sisters: Anne Evanoff (Las Vegas, NV), Taffy Emery (Cedar City, UT), and Kitty McRaney (Vancouver, WA); 9 Grandchildren: Ryan (Chelsea) Stever, Riannan Stever, Kelbee (Landon) Cole, Derek (Kayla) Cheeney, Neil (Taylor) Cheeney, Kaitlin Cheeney, Aaron Cheeney and Wylee Mitchell; and 8 great-grandchildren: Sharese, Gus, Trace, DJ, Harper, Trapper, Huck, and Hayze.

She was preceded in death by her parents Ted and May Ebersole; her husband Frank Cheeney; and her daughter Julieann Stever.