Lieselotte K. Dewald

Lieselotte DeWald, died Friday, July 22, 2022, two days after celebrating her 92 ^nd birthday with soft serve ice cream and a final visit from family.

Born Lieselotte Bender on July 20, 1930, she grew up the eldest daughter of eight children in a little town outside of Heidelberg, Germany. During WWII, she met a handsome American soldier, Ralph DeWald, while tending potato plants in the garden, and the two fell in love. Ralph was smitten and affectionately gave her the nickname, Jean.

In April of 1946 they were married, and shortly after, celebrated their first daughter before moving to America in 1948. The family settled in rural Nebraska where Ralph worked as a banker, and their once ‘little’ family become LARGE as they welcomed a total of twelve children—Doris in 1947, Carol in 1948, Dennis in 1950, Rosa Linda in 1951, Gary in 1952, Mary in 1954, Karlene in 1956, James (who was stillborn) in 1957, Patricia in 1959, Lore in 1960, Joseph in 1962, and Peter in 1964.

In December 1965, the family lost their Tobias home in a fire, and just a year after moving to their new home, Ralph suffered a heart attack and died on January 2, 1967, leaving Lieselotte the single mother of 11 children ranging in age from 2 to 19.

Always resourceful, she uprooted her family to Fairbury, NE where she and the older kids worked at the Heritage to make ends meet. Amazingly, resiliently, courageously, perhaps even a little bit stubbornly , she raised 11 children to adulthood and beyond. Eventually welcoming 23 grandchildren, 39 great-grandchildren, and 5 great, great-grandchildren!!!

Lieselotte mourned the loss of two grandchildren in tragic accidents, and later, the death of her adult children Doris and Carol. Yet despite all those trials over 92 years, she will be remembered most for her kindheartedness, her unconventional ways, her generosity and strength, her stubborn streak, and her great capacity for LOVE.

She often baked while polka music played in the kitchen and regularly stuffed her family with cinnamon rolls or sticky buns, apricot or poppyseed kolaches, and cherry and peach and coconut cream pies, especially when the men came to hunt! She sewed hundreds of teddy bears and loved to garden. She had a soft spot for violets. And she adored babies, always squeezing their chubby cheeks or examining the dimples on their hands.

Lieselotte DeWald lived a good, hard, ordinary life devoted to family and enjoying simple moments, a beautiful example of what matters most—kindness, generosity, resilience, love, and a bit of good, old German stubbornness !!

She is survived by children Dennis, Linda, Gary, Mary, Karlene, Patsy, Lore, Joe, and Pete and grandchildren Andrew, Brenda, David, Todd, Erin, Greg, Andrea, Stephanie, Tonya, Nicholas, Cherie, Mikala, Cassidy, Samantha, Amanda, Zachary, Ryan, Catherine, Jarrod and Cody as well as her 39 great-grandchildren and 5 precious great, great-grandchildren.

She will be greatly missed!!

Services are August 6, 2022, at 10:00 a.m. at St. Michaels Catholic Church with Father John Birkel officiating. A Rosary will be held August 5th at 7:00 at Gerdes-Meyer Funeral Home and the family will greet friends following the Rosary. Memorials will go to the Family's choice.  Gerdes-Meyer Funeral Home is assisting with arrangements.