Obituary for Rolland "Rollie" Oswald
Funeral services for Rolland "Rollie" Oswald age 84 of Beemer, NE will be held on Tuesday, July 16, 2019 at 10:30 a.m. at the Beemer Mennonite Church with Pastor Lewis Miller officiating. Interment will be in the Beemer Cemetery. Visitation will be on Monday from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at the Beemer Mennonite Church and will continue from 9:00 a.m. until service time at the church. Minnick Funeral Home in Wisner is assisting the family with the arrangements.
Rollie passed away Thursday morning at his home on Canfield Street. He had lived with pancreatic cancer since February of 2019.
Rolland Oswald was born on a farm near Wisner, Ne. November 13, 1934 to Sam and Mary (Huebert) Oswald. He attended District 19 and other country schools for elementary school. He also attended Hesston High School in Hesston, Kansas for one year.
Rollie was baptized at Plum Creek Mennonite Church and was a faithful member of the church his entire life. He served as Sunday school teacher, Sunday School superintendent and elder. He also served with the children’s ministry and sang with the chorus and men’s quartet. He embraced the non-violent pacifist teachings of Jesus and served a term in 1W service in Denver, Colorado as an alternative to Military service. He volunteered with Mennonite Disaster Service. Rollie actively participated in the Nebraska Mennonite Central Committee relief sales. He enjoyed bidding in the auctions and working the pork stand joining in fellowship with others and contributing to world relief.
On July 15, 1956, he was united in marriage to Marilyn Eichelberger at Plum Creek Mennonite Church, rural Beemer. They started their life together in Denver, CO, living there for 2 years. While in Denver, they were blessed with the birth their first daughter Debbie. In 1958, the family of three returned to Nebraska to begin farming. They welcomed four more daughters over the course of the next ten years, Sandy, Diane, Claudia, and Beth. Later Rollie and Marilyn lost their only son, Richard, in childbirth.
Rollie and Marilyn farmed at various places in northern Cuming County. He enjoyed raising cattle, hogs, corn, soybeans, and hay. Springtime and harvest seasons brought him the most joy. They were blessed to purchase the Nellor place north of Beemer. They moved to Beemer in 2012. He continued to help with farming, working the harvest in the fall of 2018.
Rollie was passionate about farming, from planting and harvesting to gardening when they moved into town. He taught his five daughters how to drive International Harvester tractors and bale the hay. While Rollie never had sons, he had very special relationships with his daughters’ husbands, loving them as his own. Rollie loved making Christmas candy; his fudge was a family favorite. He enjoyed reading, woodworking, and spending time with his grandchildren.
Survivors include: Wife Marilyn, Daughters and families:
Deb and Jim Zehr of rural Bancroft, NE
Levi and Ashley Zehr
Adam Zehr
Tyler Zehr
Sandy and Sid Conrad, Hickman, NE
Diane and Martin Castanon, San Antonio, TX
Joel Castanon
Gabriella Castanon
Claudia and Kevin Lierman of rural Beemer
Tessa and Tyler Recker
Ben and Nicole Ferneau
Jill and Jason Konicek and children Tyson and Hayden
Jared and Tricia Lierman and son Rhett
Beth and Randy Ehrisman of rural Beemer
Nic and Narin Ehrisman and children Nalana and Nora
Noah Ehrisman
Ellie Ehrisman and fiancé Kasey Persson
Brother Sam Oswald of West Point, NE, sister-in-law Cheryl Oswald of Wakefield, NE, sister-in-law Marie Eichelberger of Beemer.
He was preceded in death by son Richard, parents Sam and Mary, parents-in-law, Joe and Sadie Eichelberger, brother Ralph Oswald, sister Berniece Kaufman, brother-in-law Les Kaufman, sisters-in-law Dorothy Oswald, Erna Rediger, Lois Erb Shaum, Lucille Eichelberger, brothers-in-law Harold Eichelberger, Clifford Eichelberger, Menno Erb, Vernon Shaum, and Merle Rediger.
Rollie passed away Thursday morning at his home on Canfield Street. He had lived with pancreatic cancer since February of 2019.
Rolland Oswald was born on a farm near Wisner, Ne. November 13, 1934 to Sam and Mary (Huebert) Oswald. He attended District 19 and other country schools for elementary school. He also attended Hesston High School in Hesston, Kansas for one year.
Rollie was baptized at Plum Creek Mennonite Church and was a faithful member of the church his entire life. He served as Sunday school teacher, Sunday School superintendent and elder. He also served with the children’s ministry and sang with the chorus and men’s quartet. He embraced the non-violent pacifist teachings of Jesus and served a term in 1W service in Denver, Colorado as an alternative to Military service. He volunteered with Mennonite Disaster Service. Rollie actively participated in the Nebraska Mennonite Central Committee relief sales. He enjoyed bidding in the auctions and working the pork stand joining in fellowship with others and contributing to world relief.
On July 15, 1956, he was united in marriage to Marilyn Eichelberger at Plum Creek Mennonite Church, rural Beemer. They started their life together in Denver, CO, living there for 2 years. While in Denver, they were blessed with the birth their first daughter Debbie. In 1958, the family of three returned to Nebraska to begin farming. They welcomed four more daughters over the course of the next ten years, Sandy, Diane, Claudia, and Beth. Later Rollie and Marilyn lost their only son, Richard, in childbirth.
Rollie and Marilyn farmed at various places in northern Cuming County. He enjoyed raising cattle, hogs, corn, soybeans, and hay. Springtime and harvest seasons brought him the most joy. They were blessed to purchase the Nellor place north of Beemer. They moved to Beemer in 2012. He continued to help with farming, working the harvest in the fall of 2018.
Rollie was passionate about farming, from planting and harvesting to gardening when they moved into town. He taught his five daughters how to drive International Harvester tractors and bale the hay. While Rollie never had sons, he had very special relationships with his daughters’ husbands, loving them as his own. Rollie loved making Christmas candy; his fudge was a family favorite. He enjoyed reading, woodworking, and spending time with his grandchildren.
Survivors include: Wife Marilyn, Daughters and families:
Deb and Jim Zehr of rural Bancroft, NE
Levi and Ashley Zehr
Adam Zehr
Tyler Zehr
Sandy and Sid Conrad, Hickman, NE
Diane and Martin Castanon, San Antonio, TX
Joel Castanon
Gabriella Castanon
Claudia and Kevin Lierman of rural Beemer
Tessa and Tyler Recker
Ben and Nicole Ferneau
Jill and Jason Konicek and children Tyson and Hayden
Jared and Tricia Lierman and son Rhett
Beth and Randy Ehrisman of rural Beemer
Nic and Narin Ehrisman and children Nalana and Nora
Noah Ehrisman
Ellie Ehrisman and fiancé Kasey Persson
Brother Sam Oswald of West Point, NE, sister-in-law Cheryl Oswald of Wakefield, NE, sister-in-law Marie Eichelberger of Beemer.
He was preceded in death by son Richard, parents Sam and Mary, parents-in-law, Joe and Sadie Eichelberger, brother Ralph Oswald, sister Berniece Kaufman, brother-in-law Les Kaufman, sisters-in-law Dorothy Oswald, Erna Rediger, Lois Erb Shaum, Lucille Eichelberger, brothers-in-law Harold Eichelberger, Clifford Eichelberger, Menno Erb, Vernon Shaum, and Merle Rediger.