Cherrie Mariah Beam-Callaway

Cheryl ''Cherrie'' Mariah Beam-Callaway, 72, of Fremont, died Thursday, Sept. 11, 2025, in Omaha. She had been diagnosed with leukemia in August.

Cherrie was born Oct. 1, 1952, on a farm near Oshkosh, NE, to George and Betty Beam. She grew up with multiple generations of her Irish-Danish family in the Sandhills, relishing the lessons they taught her. In 1965, Cherrie moved with her parents and five siblings to Fremont.

She graduated from Fremont Senior High School and married Jim Clarke in 1970. While raising their sons, Shad and Silas, they lived for many years adjacent to Fremont's Ridge Cemetery, where Jim was cemetery sexton. Cherrie led many tours of the cemetery, sharing the story of Fremont's founders, and ordinary pioneers buried there, too.

Cherrie loved Native American history and spent most of her life preserving and sharing it. She often spoke to audiences about ''Native American Awareness,'' challenging stereotypes and prejudice and urging acceptance of their beliefs and practices as unique to their cultures.

For many years, she worked as a naturalist, teacher, and guide at Pahuk, a sacred Pawnee site near Cedar Bluffs, NE, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. In 1994, Cherrie was instrumental in bringing Pawnee elders to Nebraska and Kansas to visit Pahuk and other sites cherished by the tribe for generations, before their removal to Oklahoma in the late 1800s. Through several decades, Cherrie gathered 800 pages of Pawnee and Pahuk history in Nebraska and gave it to tribal leaders in Oklahoma.

She was a co-founder of John C. Fremont Days in 1987, which was designed to share the history of Fremont and its people, and for many years, she worked with Omaha Tribal elders Elmer Blackbird and Hollis Stabler, and the tribe's dancers, encouraging them to share their history at the festival. Films were made of a tipi (tepee) raising and dancing, to preserve the stories behind the actions.

Due to her extensive work with both tribes, elders gave her tribal names: The Omaha named her UmbaTaOuda and the Pawnee called her SaKooDuBitsueAhDee. Both mean ''Sunshine.''

Cherrie had an equal love for American pioneers and worked to preserve their stories by giving hundreds of ''living history'' performances, including traveling for a month on a wagon train across Nebraska, in 1993, to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the Oregon Trail. She and her son Silas were the official ''story tellers'' on the ride, dressed in period clothing.

Cherrie started ''A Day in the Past'' at May Museum through which thousands of Dodge County 4th graders learned about pioneer life. Dozens of volunteers entertained and ''taught'' the students at various stations throughout the museum and on its grounds, learning things such as ''sheering a sheep, saddling a horse, playing horseshoes, feeling a cow udder'' and learning how the domestic staff at the former private residence would have worked. About 10,000 children experienced the event from 1992-2022.

During A Day in the Past activities, Cherrie portrayed Mariah Monahan, an Irish pioneer, in the museum's log cabin.

Cherrie further developed the character of Mariah and shared her story through Humanities Nebraska, where she became one of the bureau's most-requested speakers as she entertained and taught thousands of Nebraskans about pioneer life.

''Cherrie has been a wonderful ambassador for Humanities Nebraska since the early years of our speaker's bureau,'' said Mary Yager, Humanities Nebraska Associate Director. ''The hundreds of programs she shared with students and adults over more than three decades always received rave reviews. Cherrie was an amazing storyteller with a wonderful gift for teaching Nebraska history. Her audiences could feel the emotion and felt they were right there living the experiences as she shared her stories. Students loved listening to her when she made Nebraska history come alive for them!''

Dan Holtz of Nebraska City, a fellow humanities speaker, and his wife, Alice, called Cherrie a ''Nebraska Treasure.''

''Cherrie was such an accepting, inclusive and curious person,'' Holz said. ''She had a special humanity which allowed her to speak to all ages of her audience. It takes a special talent to speak to children, or 80-year-olds, on a level they could relate to.''

Cherrie also served on the board of the Dodge County Historical Society, which operates May Museum in Fremont, from 1992-93, and served on the Nebraska State Historical Society board in Lincoln from 2014-2019, representing the First Congressional District.

''She played a key role in the development of the Heritage Heros Award program,'' said Lisa Mensah, executive assistant for the society. The award was created to recognize and thank local volunteers of history organizations around the state for their time and effort in helping to share Nebraska's history.

Cherrie was an artist, too, and for about 10 years, created art works of etched granite and glass, including personalized grave markers. A car accident ended that career in 1997. She also was a world traveler who made friends wherever she visited.

She received many awards for her work to preserve and share local history. She was honored by the Dodge County Historical Society, Fremont Area Chamber of Commerce, Nebraska Travel and Tourism Council and the City of Fremont. She also received the prestigious Ike Friedman Community Achievement Award for community leadership in 1997, and was named an ''Admiral in the Nebraska Navy'' by Gov. Kay Orr, in 1987.

She married Dr. Richard Callaway of Fremont on Dec. 13, 2014. The couple lived in both Fremont, NE, and Little River, Digby County, Nova Scotia, for the past five years, and traveled extensively on humanitarian, social justice, and educational tours. He survives.

Other survivors include her sons Shad (Brenna) Clarke, and granddaughters, Ella and Audrey, all of Gretna, and Silas Clarke and fiancé Sarah Gray of Ouray, CO; brothers, Gary (Shari Lee) Beam of Council Bluffs, IA, and Greg (Kim) Beam, of Fremont; sister-in-law, Nadine Beam of Hastings; and many nieces and nephews. Other survivors include Richard's family, daughters Rachel (Chiba) Ene, and grandsons, Ben and Ian Ene, all of Pearland, TX, and Lindsey Callaway of Fremont; and sisters, Beverly Andrews of Peoria, AZ, Barbara Callaway and husband Robert Plump, and Jill (Chris) Tamborini, all of Buckeye, AZ.

Cherrie was preceded in death by her sister, Kathy Moll, and brothers Martie and Russell Beam.

A memorial service and celebration of Cherrie's life will begin at 4 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 18, 2025, at Izaak Walton Park, 2560 W Military Ave, Fremont. Food, fellowship, and stories of Cherrie's life will be shared upon conclusion of the service. Guests are asked to dress casually, wear a fun hat and bring a story to share.

Ludvigsen Mortuary in Fremont handled arrangements. Memorials have been established to John C. Fremont Days and the Oshkosh Museum.

Online guestbook at www.Ludvigsenmortuary.com

Obituary Provided By:

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