Raymond “Pete” Schmaderer, 93 of Atkinson passed peacefully the morning of September 14th, 2019 from complications of a stroke. He was a dedicated husband, father, grandfather and great grandfather and an active member of the Atkinson community for 55 years.
He is survived by his wife, Marge: children, Susan and Larry Gilg, Austin Texas; Tom and Jodi Schmaderer, Omaha; Mike and Myra Schmaderer, Lincoln; Joan and Rick Anson, Borrego Springs, California; Mary and Michael Hall, Berthoud, Colorado; Philip and Denise Schmaderer, Borrego Springs, California; Pete and Rhonda Schmaderer, Lincoln; Ann and Greg Little, Omaha; Julie Schmaderer, Los Angeles, California; 22 grandchildren, and 11 great grandchildren.
Pete was born in Stuart, Nebraska on June 20, 1926. He graduated from Stuart high school in 1944. After serving in the U.S.Navy, he went to work for the Bell Telephone Company and married Marge Hoffman of Stuart in 1950. They celebrated 69 years of marriage on September 9th, five days before his death.
They worked together to provide for their large family, raising and preserving vegetables, making sauerkraut and sausage, and renovating their home. He took pride in everything he did and could fix almost anything.
A member of St Joseph Catholic Church, he served as a Eucharistic Minister. He was an active member of the Knights of Columbus and the American Legion, serving as Grand Knight and Post Commander. If there was a community project, Pete was pitching in to help, whether you needed to get bats out of the church belfry, build a locomotive Hay Days float from old barrels and scrap, design a new Legion Club building or flip pancakes for a fundraiser.
Over the years you might have found Pete climbing a telephone pole, on the prairie hunting with the dogs he trained, fishing with friends, bowling at the alley, golfing on the links, sitting at the table having nightly dinner with his family, attending a sporting event of one of his children or cheering the Huskers as a long term season ticket holder.
His family was his joy and his legacy. He and Marge would travel to California to spend the winter with two of their children and their families and take trips to visit others in Denver, Austin, Omaha and Lincoln. Every two years since 1990, the extended family has gathered in Atkinson to celebrate. The 10th of these reunions had 60 family members. The weekend was full of good food, a golf scramble, a cribbage tournament, impromptu volleyball games, and a fish fry that Pete “worked” on throughout the year.
Pete lived the life of a good and honest man with an easy smile and a quick wit; a devoted family man, a loyal friend and a community member who volunteered wherever needed and gave generously to all. He will be missed but has left us with amazing memories and an incredible example of kindness and what is truly important in life.
The family asks, that, In lieu of flowers, to please send memorials to the Atkinson Senior Center or St. Joseph Elementary School of Atkinson.
