Since the exact death date was not given, the date of the newspaper article was used. Published in Omaha World-Herald, July 22, 2000

(picture) JOHN LAURITZEN, 83, DIES; RITES SET FOR WEDNESDAY

John Lauritzen, who headed Nebraska’s largest bank for a generation, died at home at 83. Funeral services are planned for Wednesday at Trinity Cathedral in downtown Omaha.

BANK LEADER JOHN LAURITZEN DIES AT AGE 83 by Steve Jordon, World-Herald Staff Writer

NEBRASKA BANKER CALLED A PIONEER IN THE INDUSTRY

John R. Lauritzen, who headed Nebraska’s largest bank for a generation, died at home Friday from health problems that began with a stroke in 1996.

His son, Bruce Lauritzen, now chairman of First National of Nebraska Inc., said a funeral would be held Wednesday at Trinity Cathedral. Details were pending. Other survivors include his wife, Elizabeth Ann; daughter Ann Pape; and five grandchildren.

The elder Lauritzen, 83, had joined First National in 1943, when the bank’s assets totaled about $100 milliion. Today, Lauritzen-connected banks have assets of about $11 billiion. He started the First Charge card in 1953, which later became the Visa card.

“He was a pioneer in the credit card industry, one of the founding fathers,” Bruce Lauritzen said. “He was a true visionary, a very innovative person who loved new products and new technologies. He was definitely a big-picture person, but he also was extremely customer-oriented.

“He was filled with ideas, an exciting person to work with and a true entrepreneur.”

Tom Olson, president of the Nebraska Bankers Association, said Lauritzen built a strong family-owned banking company that supported many other banks in the state through correspondent relationships. Large banks often participate in large loans with smaller banks.

“He probably helped keep some banks open during difficult times,” Olson said. “He would be one of the last bankers in Omaha who put together a really fine banking organization, which has remained a family bank to this day.”

First National under Lauritzen’s leadership was a key supporter of economic development efforts in Omaha, Olson said, and that benefits the entire state.

“He was dedicated to the banking industry and wanted to be independent and to offer service to banks throughout Nebraska,” Olson said. “He was one of the really class acts in the banking industry.”

Lauritzen was born and raised in Minneapolis. He competed in the Junior Olympics in hockey and loved sports, including hunting, fishing and golf.

He attended Princeton University, where he was injured playing football, and he then returned home to work with his father and take night classes at the University of Minnesota. He earned a graduate degree in banking from the University of Wisconsin.

Lauritzen married in 1939 and moved to Omaha at the urging of his father-in-law, Thomas Davis. He started in banking at North Side Bank and moved to Washington County Bank in Blair.

“In those days,” he once said, “the tellers were behind bars as a result of the many bank robberies. Bonnie and Clyde were well-known bank robbers of the time and would kill for no reason.”

In 1947, he and his wife raised $34,000 to purchase the Emerson (Iowa) State Bank, becoming the nation’s youngest bank president at age 29. He founded a number of banks, including First Westside Bank, First Westroads Bank and First National Bank of Elm Creek, and acquired others through First National and the family-owned Lauritzen Corp.

He was co-chairman of the bank holding company from 1968 to 1972 and chairman until 1994, when he retired. He was a supporter of Gene Mahoney State Park and Dana College in Blair, Neb., among other civic and charitable groups, and was named to the Ak-Sar-Ben Court of Honor in 1993 for contributions to business and to the Omaha Business Hall of Fame in 1996.

#2 - - from Omaha World-Herald, July, 2000

LAURITZEN - - John R., age 83 yrs. Survived by wife, Elizabeth Lauritzen; son and daughter-in-law, Bruce and Kimball Lauritzen; daughter and son-in-law, Ann and Raymond Pape Jr.; grandchildren, Margaret and Nate Dodge, Blair and Natt Gogel, Clarkson Lauritzen, Brady Pape, Matt Pape.

SERVICES Wed. 10:30 am, Trinity Cathedral, 18th and Capital. Interment Forest Lawn. Memorials to the Nebraska Game & Parks Foundation or the Salvation Army.

HEAFEY-HEAFEY-HOFFMANN-DWORAK-CUTLER WEST CENTER CHAPEL, 78TH & West Center 391-3900