Funeral Service for Barry H. Tietgen P.A.-C, 77, of Pierce will be held at 10:30 a.m., Monday, September 18, 2023 at Zion Lutheran Church, Pierce.

Military rites will be conducted by Tomek-Otto Post #72 American Legion from Pierce, United States Navy Honors Guard, Sons of the American Legion Post #326 from Osmond, and the Nebraska American Legion Riders.

Burial will take place at Prospect View Cemetery rural Pierce.

Visitation will be held from 4:00 - 7:00 p.m., Sunday, also at the church in Pierce.

Barry died on Tuesday, September 12, 2023 at his residence in Pierce.

Barry was born on March 8, 1946 to Karl and Elsie (Bromwell) Tietgen in Omaha, NE.

He attended Greene country school District 49 up to the 7th grade before attending Fort Calhoun Public School in the 8th grade. He attended Blair High School where he graduated in 1964.

He entered the United States Navy Reserves in 1965 and was in active duty in 1967 to 1969. He then attended the hospital corps school at Great Lakes, Illinois and was later stationed on the U.S.S. Essex aircraft carrier as a medic. The Essex Aircraft carrier picked up Apollo 7 Astronauts when they landed in the ocean. Barry worked with them in the medical clinic on the ship.

Barry traveled to Europe twice on Goodwill Ambassador trips. He was discharged in January of 1969 and in the fall of that year he enrolled at the University of Nebraska at Omaha where he attended until 1971. He then went to Methodist School of Nursing where he graduated with a nursing degree in 1974. In 1976 he attended UNMC in the Physician's Assistant program where he graduated in 1978 with a Bachelor's of Science in Physician's Assistant.

Barry came to Pierce in the fall of 1978 and worked for Dr. Leon Handke at the Pierce Clinic. The clinic was named Alegent Health after the purchase of the clinic in 1995 and then renamed Avera Sacred Heart in 2007. Barry worked there until his retirement in 2012.

Barry married Cathy Poppe in 1977 at St. Paul's Methodist Church in Omaha. The couple later divorced in 1993.

Barry enjoyed golfing, anything to do with the Huskers and his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Barry was a member of Zion Lutheran Church, Pierce, past Zion Lutheran School board president, Zion Lutheran stewardship, Member of Pierce Jaycees, president in 1980, Northeast Nebraska Jaycee Senator, Pierce American Legion, and Barry was awarded the Nebraska Physician Assistant of The Year in 2000.

Barry was dedicated to his family, patients, community, and church.

Barry is survived by his children Gwen (Ben) Starkey of Wichita, KS, Cameron Tietgen and friend Amy of Lincoln, and Cole (Afton) Tietgen of Pierce, grandchildren Laura, Ryan, Carter and Blake, siblings Richard Bissell of Sparta, MO, Brian (Joyce) Tietgen of Fort Calhoun, NE, Diane Deleo of Omaha, and Candy Kowalski of Hermiston, OR.

He was preceded in death by his parents Karl and Elsie, a brother Dennis, and brothers-in-law Michael DeLeo and Gary Kowalski.

Casket Bearers will be Rodger Warneke, Mike Pentico, Todd Willard, Rick Sirek, Roger Koehler, and Dave Miller.

~~~Obituary courtesy of the Nebraska Washington County Genealogical Society. Newspaper clippings on file in the Public Library, Blair, Nebraska~~~

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