William “Bill” W. Lemburg

William “Bill” W. Lemburg, 98, of Cairo, died on December 7, 2023, at Brookefield Park in St. Paul.

Funeral services will be held at 10:00 AM on Saturday, December 16, 2023, at the United Methodist Church in Cairo. Pastor Cathryn “Cat” Love and Pastor Kalaba Kapundu will be officiating.  Interment will be held in the Loup Fork Cemetery, near Boelus.

Visitation will be from 5 to 7 PM Friday at Jacobsen-Greenway-Dietz Funeral Home in St. Paul.

Memorials are suggested to the Cairo Fire & EMT’s.

Bill was born on May 1, 1925 in Boelus, Nebraska to William “Willie” and Anna Katherine (Hansen) Lemburg.   He attended country school in Dannebrog through the 9th grade.  He graduated from Boelus High School in 1942 where he was the valedictorian and served as the senior class president.  In his younger years, Bill was a phenomenal baseball player whose pitch was known as the “school boy” round house curve with a batting average of 444.  Bill was offered scholarships to play baseball at different colleges, but he chose farming instead.  He enjoyed motorcycles and raising game birds.

He entered the United States Army on June 20, 1945, in Leavenworth, Kansas and was honorably discharged on December 13, 1946, in Camp Beale, California.  Bill was a 1st Radio Squadron and spent his post-war duties in the Philippines and Japan.  He received the Philippine Independence Ribbon, the World War II Victory Medal, and the Army of Occupation Medal.

Bill was united in marriage to Pearl Bremer on July 30, 1951, at the United Methodist Church in Boelus.  The couple farmed and raised their 2 sons, Mickey and Rodney.  The couple enjoyed dancing and playing cards.  Bill farmed until his father passed away in 2000.  He then worked for Hornady Manufacturing for 8 years until his retirement.

Bill was a member of the United Methodist Church in Cairo, Boelus American Legion Club, and the Platt Duetsche Club in Grand Island. He also belonged to the American Pheasant Waterfowl Society, International Wild Waterfowl Association, Ducks Unlimited, Pheasants Forever, National Rifle Association, and the National Audubon Society.

Bill was an avid outdoorsman who enjoyed farming, game breeding, hunting, fishing, bird watching and banding.  He spent hours in the garden and was very proud of his watermelon and cantaloupe plants.  He was a gunsmith, taxidermist, conservationist, wood worker and carver.  Bill’s hobbies also included photography, stamp collecting, and reading bird books.  One of his greatest enjoyments in life was just being with his grandkids.  He was so good with all of them.

Those left to cherish his memory include his sons and daughters-in-law, Mickey & Jane Lemburg of Cairo, and Rodney & Amy Lemburg of College Station, Texas; grandchildren, Toby Lemburg, Jessica Scheer and Joshua Lemburg; great-grandchildren, Cortland, Stacia, Dawson, Sterling, Grey, Maddeline, Paxton, Josey, Tessa and Emery; great-great-grandchildren, Oliver & Franklin.

Bill was preceded in death by his parents; wife, Pearl; granddaughter, Christa Lee Lemburg; infant sister, Eunice Lemburg; sisters, Janice Hansen and Faye Powers; brother, Earl, and nephew, Ron Hansen.