William "Bill" Ray Stegeman, Jr.

William “Bill” Stegeman, 90, of Lewellen, formerly of Chappell, passed away on Monday morning, March 17, 2014, at the Garden County Health Services Nursing Home in Oshkosh.

Memorial services will be held at 10:00 a.m. on Monday, March 24, 2014 at the United Methodist Church in Chappell with Pastor Ezekiel Koech officiating.  Burial of the ashes will be held at 3:00 CST on Monday at Fort McPherson National Cemetery near Maxwell, Nebraska.

Cremation has taken place and there will be no visitation at the funeral home.

A memorial has been established in Bill’s name to the Sudman Heritage House in Chappell or Riverview Assisted Living in Lewellen.

Holechek Funeral Home and Cremations in Chappell is serving the Stegeman family.

William Stegeman, Jr. was born on December 19, 1923 in Chappell, Nebraska to William Stegeman Sr. and Rose (Farrell) Stegeman.  He attended school in Chappell and graduated in 1941.  After high school he joined the US Navy and served during WWII. 

Bill was united in marriage to Mary Hare at Sidney, Nebraska in 1946.  They were blessed with 2 children, Rocky and Judy.  The family lived in Cheyenne, Wyoming and Bill worked at the Union Pacific Depot.  After moving to Chappell he spent many years working for the United States Postal Service.  He retired in 1981 as a rural mail carrier.  After retirement he spent many winters in Blythe, California.  He was an avid sports fan, especially Nebraska Huskers.

He was a member of the United Methodist Church, Golden Fleece Lodge #205, and the Sidney Elk’s Lodge.

Bill his survived by his daughter, Judy and husband David Geiger of Lewellen; daughter-in-law, Ofelia Stegeman of Vallejo, California; sister, Alice Keime of Broomfield, Colorado; brother, Robert Stegeman of Sidney; grandchildren, Stephanie and husband Eric Dishman of Lodgepole, Erik and wife Shannon Geiger of Fort Collins, Colorado, and Jackie and husband Antonio Valenzuela of Vallejo; great grandchildren, Elena and Levi Dishman of Lodgepole, Kiera Geiger of Fort Collins, and Antonio, Amario, Amena, and Amiliano Valenzuela of Vallejo; and many other nieces, nephews, cousins and friends.

He was preceded in death by his parents, William and Rose Stegeman, wife of 41 years, Mary Stegeman, sister, Mabel Brake, and son, Rocky Stegeman.