Obituaries
Obituaries of ordained ministers, widows of pastors, and commissioned workers rostered in the Nebraska District LCMS
Please note: Our office relies on families, congregations, and schools to provide obituary information. If you do not see an obituary here that you believe should be shared with the district, please contact communications@ndlcms.org to notify us.
Below are recent obituaries from the District.
Virginia Ann Temme, March 21, 2025
Mrs. Virginia Ann (Schmitzer) Temme, widow of the Reverend Elton Temme, Blue Hill, Nebraska, departed this life on Friday, March 21, 2025, at the age of 89. She was born March 11, 1936, to Verna and Oswald Schmitzer at St. Luke’s Hospital in Saginaw, Michigan. She was baptized and confirmed at Christ Lutheran Church. She attended grade school and three years of high school in Birch Run, Michigan. She then attended Michigan Lutheran Seminary in Saginaw and was the vice-president of her senior class. She continued her education at Concordia Teachers College in River Forest, Illinois, for two years.
After graduation, she was called to Immanuel Lutheran School in Kansas City, Missouri, and taught 5th grade. The next year, she was offered a position teaching 2nd grade at Calvary Lutheran Church in Kansas City. Her life-long partner and future husband, Elton Temme, was serving as vicar at Calvary, and love soon blossomed. Virginia’s last year of teaching was at Concordia Lutheran School in St. Louis. Elton was serving a nearby church and graduated from seminary that year. They were married on September 3, 1958, in Birch Run, Michigan, with Elton’s brother, Rev. Norman Temme, officiating.
They enjoyed 59 years of marriage. They had three daughters: Ann, Lori, and Teresa. Virginia and Elton both loved children and made their home a magical place to grow up. The neighborhood kids would gather for many adventures after which Virginia would have Kool-Aid and her famous chocolate chip cookies waiting for them. In 1968, Virginia suffered an aneurysm that affected her left side and the use of her left hand. She refused to acknowledge that she had a disability and adapted any task to be completed with one hand. She made sure that her children grew up in a loving household, with wonderful home cooked meals. Virginia loved baking, keeping a sparkling clean house, raising her three daughters, and keeping up to date on the latest fashions. Virginia and the girls were known to sneak off on shopping adventures, which may or may not have been within the budget of a pastor’s salary!
Virginia served by her husband’s side as a pastor’s wife, called to: St. John’s in Tyler and First English in Fairmont, North Dakota (1958-1960); St. Peter’s in Barnes, Kansas (1960-1962); Reformation in Charlotte, North Carolina (1962-1965); St. John’s in Oberlin, Kansas (1965-1974); Trinity in Blue Hill, Nebraska (1974-1978); Grace in Larned, Kansas (1978-1986); and Zion in Farmington, New Mexico (1986-1992). They retired in Hastings, Nebraska, to be close to family. Virginia was also an accomplished pianist, organist, and led several children’s choirs. Later in life she served as a teacher’s aide and volunteer at Zion Lutheran Church, Hastings, Nebraska.
Virginia is survived by her three daughters, Ann (Greg) Auten of Blue Hill; Lori (Evan) Halsey of Jacksonville, Florida; and Teresa Temme-Dietz (John Frenaye) of Annapolis, Maryland; five grandchildren: Tim Auten of Lincoln, Nebraska; Lindsey (Auten) and husband Ben Welch of Lincoln, Nebraska; Tyler Auten and wife Kate (Ruth) of Blue Hill, Nebraska; Annalise Dietz of Baltimore, Maryland; and Alayna Dietz of Annapolis, Maryland. Virginia is also survived by four great-grandchildren that brought much joy in her final years: 17-month-old triplets Dean, Cooper, and Ella Auten of Blue Hill, Nebraska, and five-month-old Phoebe Welch of Lincoln, Nebraska.
The service will be Tuesday, March 25, 2025, 10:30 a.m. at Trinity Lutheran Church, Blue Hill, Nebraska, with Pastor Glen Wurdeman officiating. Burial will be in the Blue Hill Cemetery, Blue Hill, Nebraska. Memorials can be directed to Trinity Lutheran Church.
Condolences may be sent to the family at www.mertenbutlermortuary.com. Merten-Butler Mortuary, Blue Hill, Nebraska, is in charge of arrangements.
Elaine Nelson, February 27, 2025
Mrs. Elaine Lois (Michels) Nelson, wife of the Reverend John Nelson, Sr., Grand Island, Nebraska, departed this life on Thursday, February 27, 2025, at the age of 82. She was born December 6, 1942, to William and Edna (Wallner) Michels in Garrison, North Dakota. She graduated from Hillsboro High School, Hillsboro, Illinois, in 1960. She went on to graduate from Concordia Teachers College, Seward, Nebraska. On October 12, 1963, she was united in marriage to John Edward Nelson in Falls City, Nebraska. To this union four children were born.
Elaine served alongside her husband as a pastor’s wife in the following congregations: Immanuel, Nipigon, Ontario, Canada (1973-1978); Christ, Yuma, Arizona (1978-1981); Mount Calvary, Lake Arrowhead, California (1981-1986); and Shepherd in the Pines, Big Bear, California (1986-1999). They also lived in Seattle, Washington, for a number of years during which time her husband served with Lutheran Ministries Services-Northwest.
Elaine retired from American Bible Society where she managed the west coast field volunteer department. She was active with LWML and served as the LWML District President of the Pacific Southwest and Washington-Alaska Districts. She was an influential part of several Bible study groups.
Those left to cherish her memory include her husband, Rev. John Nelson, Sr., Grand Island; children, Rev. John (Joanna) Nelson, Joel (Karen) Nelson, Julie (Tetsuya) Sugita, and Jeremy Nelson; fifteen grandchildren and eight great grandchildren; brother, Gerald (Betty) Michels; sisters, Eunice (Richard) Schmidt, Ruth (Denny) Goshon, and Nancy (Thomas) Nowiszewski. She was preceded in death by her parents and a brother, Jim Michels.
A celebration of life service will be held on Friday, May 9, at 11:00 a.m. at Peace Lutheran Church, 1710 N. North Road, Grand Island, Nebraska. The service will be livestreamed on the church’s Facebook page, Peace Lutheran Celebration of Life-Grand Island. Lunch will immediately follow the service. A visitation will be held on Thursday, May 8, from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. at Peace Lutheran Church. Inurnment will take place at Loup Fork Cemetery in Boelus at a later date. Memorials are suggested to Peace Lutheran Foundation.
Condolences may be sent to Rev. John Nelson, Sr., 4122 Rolling Green Drive, Grand Island, Nebraska 68803-6048.
Richard Zwick, January 7, 2025
Richard Charles Zwick, Commissioned Minister—Teacher Emeritus, departed this life on January 7, 2025. He was born on October 26, 1931, in a farmhouse between Gresham and Staplehurst, Nebraska, to Richard and Louise Abrahams Zwick. He received a B.S. in Education and the Lutheran Teacher’s Diploma from Concordia Teachers College (now University), Seward. He earned his master’s in English education from the University of Michigan, and his Ph.D. in English Language and Literature from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. He taught in Lutheran elementary schools from 1954 to 1963, at Plainview, Nebraska, and Auburn and Detroit, Michigan. In 1963, he took a position as Dean of Men and English Professor at Concordia Lutheran Junior College, Ann Arbor, Michigan. From there he moved back to his Alma Mater in 1968, where he taught English and served in various positions at Concordia, Seward. He retired in September of 1997.
Mr. Zwick is survived by his wife, Eveline (Heppner) Zwick, Seward, NE; son, Matthew Zwick, Omaha, NE; daughter and son-in-law, Barbara and Franz Cowden, Riverton, IA; two granddaughters, Anna and Emma Cowden, Riverton, IA; and numerous relatives and friends. He was preceded in death by his parents; brother, Leland Zwick; sisters and brothers-in-law, Edith and Earle Wobig, Armelda Schreiber, and Betty and Don Hofferber.
Visitation will be Sunday, January 12 at Zabka-Perdue Funeral Home in Seward, Nebraska, from 1:00 to 5:00 p.m. with family receiving friends from 3:00 to 5:00 p.m. The funeral service will be held January 13, at St. John Lutheran Church in Seward, beginning at 11:00 a.m. Interment will be at Greenwood Cemetery in Seward.
Memorial contributions may be made to Concordia University, Nebraska or St. John Lutheran Church, Seward.