William "Bill" W. Wehrmann

William (Bill) Walter Wehrmann died peacefully, surrounded by family, on March 3, 2025, in Omaha, Nebraska.

Bill was born November 14, 1932 in Lincoln, Nebraska, and adopted at the age of one year and one day from the Lutheran Orphan Society at Military and Lincoln Avenue in Fremont, Nebraska. New parents for ''Little Billy'' were Rev. Otto W. Wehrmann and Alice M. (Reinschmidt) Wehrmann, of Madison, Nebraska, serving St. John's Lutheran Church in the Green Garden Township. 1938 found the Wehrmann family of three moving to Scribner, Nebraska, and Billy growing up at St. Peter's Lutheran Church. Bill got into more than his fair share of mischief - it was a real chore living up to (or disproving) stereotypes of both the only child and the preacher's kid.

Bill developed a love for fishing and hunting from many outings with his folks, and he passed these loves down to his children. Treasured times of early morning trips to drop our stringer lines in the Platte, summer rod and reel on the Elkhorn, and fall pheasant hunting. A graduate of Scribner High School, Scribner was home for Bill until he enlisted in the United States Navy (1952-1956), serving as a radio operator, amazingly adept at Morse Code. We will never really know just what it was that he tapped out on the kitchen table during meal times that had become beyond boisterous.

Bill and Jean (Lorna Jean Hoops) were married February 13, 1955. Fremont, Nebraska was home base for the family for many years. Dad and Mom loved Debra Jean, Vicki Jo, Cindy Joy, Scott Alan, and Christopher Clinton Ashmore. More than fifteen foster children and teenagers joined the family over the years, some keeping contact as adults (walking Sondra Grohs down the aisle was a special honor for dad). Special family friend, Kari Mullen, was added as a daughter-by-choice in 2012, and is dear to all. Dad was volunteer youth sports coach, Sunday School teacher, and church youth leader with Mom. He was the pitcher for years on the church slow-pitch softball league, and insisted that we learn how to keep a proper baseball score book - helpful on road trips to cheer on the Royals and Cardinals.

After stints at Campbell's Soup and on the railroad as a gandy dancer, Dad somehow survived working thirty-seven years at Hormel's. Year after year both parents worked two or three jobs at a time to provide for their brood. Mom's budget-keeping method of categorizing cash in old bank envelopes, together with dad's weekly allowance doled out into glass baby food jars, resulted, after many evenings of noses buried in atlases, in the most unforgettable camping trips and vacations - St. Louis, Black Hills, Mt. Rushmore, Fort Rob and Chadron, Expo67 Canada, California in 1972 are just a few. The memories are magic - trips always in yet another junker station wagon, and dad ALWAYS getting the dry corner of the tent in any and every rainstorm. Fun continued with multi-generation trips to Yellowstone, Glacier, and Disney World. Dad journeyed to Germany to see distant cousins. Dad and mom traveled together on a trip to Alaska. Then it was 9/11 and the dream trip to Australia/New Zealand was not to be.

And there was music, always music. Endless music in the house, in the car, on the piano, on band instruments, in church, decorating parade floats, around campfires...music was another wonderful gift that dad and mom gave each of us. Like any family glued together by lore and love and spats, the music and stories will go on through the generations. As most certainly will the love and the spats.

2006 was a big move from Fremont to the farm. Mom and dad and Chris joined Scott high atop Washington County. Mom died in 2018. And now here we are. 2025, spring is here, and our favorite Certified Master Gardener has already plotted his vegetables and flowers. No more Good Friday mornings will anybody get hauled out of bed to plant potatoes! He has joined the love of his life, the most creative soul we ever knew. They are sitting together on the north porch, sharing a cup of tea, watching the birds, mom with mending on her lap. Morning devotions and copies of ''Laughter is the Best Medicine'' sum things up nicely. We treasured getting a chance to say goodbye to you, dad, and are so glad you are together again with mom - she was gone from us too soon and so very suddenly.

We are so grateful for your steadfast example of giving to others - always - because there is someone that has a greater need, no matter which way you turn. Thank you for providing everything we needed. Thank you for not giving us everything we wanted.

Surviving are children Debbie Wehrmann DeFrain (Jim DeFrain), Vicki Wehrmann-Sorensen (Art Sorensen), Cindy Wehrmann Menzel (Ted Menzel), Scott Wehrmann (Sarah Isaacson), Chris Wehrmann, Kari Mullen; grandchildren Billy DeFrain, Robby DeFrain (Scout Raskin), Anne Sorensen-Wang (Chunyang Wang), Eric Sorensen (Jessica Fischer Sorensen), Hannah Menzel Clark (John Clark), Aaron Menzel (Rachel Steenson Menzel), Rebekah Menzel Crider (Zeb Crider), Emily Wehrmann Derickson (Keith Derickson), Andrew Wehrmann, Betsy Wehrmann Clark (David Clark), Maggie Wehrmann, Chelsey Wehrmann Haeck (Andy Haeck), Justin Isaacson (Haelee), Aaron Isaacson; great-grandchildren Ivy DeFrain, Zoe Wang, Everett Sorensen, Amelia Sorensen, Gabriel Clark, Caroline Clark, Elijah Clark, Benjamin Clark, Cecilia Clark, Elizabeth Clark, Enid Menzel, Euan Menzel, Blaise Crider, Ambrose Crider, Gideon Crider, Baby Crider (due September 2025), Abe Derickson, Saul Derickson, Levi Derickson, Olive Derickson, Easton Wehrmann, Reese Wehrmann, Rozalyn Wehrmann, David Clark, Jr., Nicholas Clark, Luna Pernell, Mary Haeck, Baby Elaina Haeck (due March 2025), Haedyn Isaacson; two first cousins Leland Krecklow (Lorraine), Russell Krecklow (Barb). From the Hoops clan, mom's surviving siblings and spouses, nieces and nephews - always a loving part of dad's life.

Bill was preceded in death by his wife, Lorna Jean, parents Otto (Grandpa Sodie) and Alice (Grandma Alice), his aunt Clare Reinschmidt Seim, and many Wehrmann uncles, aunts, and cousins.

The family is especially grateful for the loving medical care provided by dad's health care team in Fremont and Omaha, Memorial Community Hospital of Blair, and Methodist Hospital, Omaha (North Tower Fourth Floor/North Tower Seventh Floor ICU).

These charitable organizations were favorites of our folks. Mom definitely knew what it was like to do without enough clothing or enough food. Dad was the last surviving soul adopted from the Lutheran Orphan Home (German Lutheran Orphans Home) in Fremont (later growing into an organization of churches that became present-day Lutheran Family Services of Nebraska). Dad was so grateful he was chosen by loving parents from that old orphanage, starting his journey to Madison, to Scribner, back to Fremont and a new church at the same old corner of Military and Lincoln. And, finally to their little spot of heaven in the country - there until they were both gone. Grandpa Bill and Grandma Jeanie are forever in the hearts of the Wehrmann generations. You are loved.

Memorials suggested to Joseph's Coat/Washington County Food Bank (1737 Washington Street Blair, NE 68008 https://www.josephscoat.org/support/online-donation/); Orphan Grain Train (Box 1466 Norfolk, NE 68702-1466 https://orphangraintrain-bloom.kindful.com/); Lutheran Family Services of Nebraska/Attn: Development (7929 West Center Road Omaha, NE 68124 https://www.onelfs.org/donate/)

A celebration will be held on Friday, March 21, 2025 at 10am in Blair, Nebraska at Trinity Lutheran Church (141 South 20th St).

Burial will take place at a later date in the Omaha National Cemetery.

Online guestbook at www.Ludvigsenmortuary.com

Obituary Provided By:

1249 E. 23rd St.
Fremont, NE  68025
www.ludvigsenmortuary.com