ROY H. RAABE, 90

Roy H. Raabe, 90, of Blair, died Sunday, Jan. 15, 2006, at Crowell Memorial Home in Blair.

Funeral services will be 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, Jan. 18, at Bethany Lutheran Church in Elkhorn. Interment will be in the Mt. Auburn Cemetery.

Visitation will be from noon until 8 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 17, at Reichmuth Funeral Home in Elkhorn.

Roy Harry Raabe was born Nov. 13, 1915, to Ed and Mary (Veskerna) Raabe at their farmstead located at 84th and Blondo. He was baptized Jan. 7, 1917, at Immanuel Lutheran Church in Benson and was confirmed on May 5, 1929, at this same church. Later in his life, he became a member of Bethany Lutheran Church in Elkhorn.

He attended Underwood School through the 10th grade and then helped to run the family farm. He was a farmer all of his life and also worked various jobs in the off-seasons. He worked at a meat packing plant, delivered fuel oil for Paul Davie and Sons and was a drywall scrapper for Christensen Drywall for many years.

On Sept. 21, 1940, he married Alice VonWeg in Papillion; the couple celebrated their 65th anniversary this past fall. Roy and Alice grew up in the same neighborhood and attended the same school. He chauffeured his sisters, and Alice and her sister to various activities and their friendship and love grew from this.

When the Raabes were first married, they lived with his parents at 108th and Maple, then moved to a small house at 102nd and Maple. They moved onto a farm at 106th and Blondo in 1943 and lived there until 1963 when the farm was sold for construction of the Interstate and a housing project. The Raabes moved back to 108th and Maple when Roy’s parents retired. They lived there until buying their own farm just outside of Washington in 1969. Due to Mr. Raabe’s failing health, he retired from farming and the couple moved into Elkhorn. They moved to an assisted living facility in Papillion in 1998 and lived there until Mr. Raabe required full-time nursing care and was moved to Crowell Memorial Home in Blair.

He maintained his love of farming until the very end. One of his favorite pastimes was taking Sunday drives with his son, Leroy, to check out everyone’s fields and crops.

He is survived by his wife, Alice; four children and their spouses, Nancy and Harlan Custard, of Elkhorn; Leroy and Joyce Raabe of Omaha; Gloria and Walt Sass of Kennard; and Pam and John Schwenck of Sun City, Ariz.; 14 grandchildren; and many great-grandchildren; two sisters and two brothers-in-law: Catherine (Toots) Bastemeyer; Irene and Keith Knight; Warren Davie; and many nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by two brothers, Henry and Ed Raabe; and two sisters, Mable Pahland and Elizabeth (Sis) Davie.

Memorials are suggested to Crowell Memorial Home, Bethany Lutheran Church, or the donor’s choice.

# 2 - - Printed in Omaha World-Herald, January 16, 2006

RAABE - Roy, age 90 yrs., of Blair, NE. Survived by wife, Alice; son and daughter-in-law, Leroy and Joyce of Omaha; daughters and sons-in –law, Nancy and Harlan Custard, Elkhorn; Gloria and Walt Sass, of Kennard; Pam and John Schwenck, Sun City, AZ; 14 grandchildren; many great-grandchildren; sisters and brothers-in-law, Catherine “Toots” Bastemeyer, of Elkhorn; Irene and Keith Knight, of Ft. Calhoun; and Warren Davie, of Omaha; nieces and nephews.

VISITATION Tues 12 pm – 8 pm, with family receiving friends from 5 – 8 pm at the Funeral Home. FUNERAL Wed 10:30 am, Bethany Lutheran Church, Elkhorn. Interment Mt. Auburn. Memorials to Crowell Home or Bethany Lutheran Church or your choice.

REICHMUTH FUNERAL HOME, 21901 West Maple 289-2222