Ann E Westergren

Ann E. Westergren, age 97, of Lincoln, NE, died Wednesday, April 19,2022. She was born July 11, 1924 on a farm near Wallace, NE, the oldest child of Elmer and Gertrude (Brisbin) Strawder. She was raised on farms near Wallace and graduated from Wallace High School in 1942.

After High School she moved to live with a family in Holdrege, NE so she could find work. While working at the Cozy Inn Café in Holdrege, she happened to meet a young soldier coming home on leave. She happened to walk across the street to the train station to mail a letter home. The soldier and his friend, whose wife worked at the Café, followed Ann back to the café to get something to eat. The young man was Oscar Westergren. And as they say, the rest was history. They were married in the spring of 1943, at Little Rock, Arkansas, where he was training to leave for the war overseas.

After the war, Ann and Oscar lived in Holdrege. She was a store clerk, book keeper, receptionist and homemaker, raising 5 children. In the 70s they moved to Eagle, NE, and then into Lincoln in the early 80s.

Ann loved to have a garden, growing vegetables to be canned. She also enjoyed bowling with a team of her friends while in Holdrege, and later with her husband, son and daughter in Lincoln. She became an avid Lincoln Saltdogs fan once they began in Lincoln. Also loved going to watch the Nebraska Women Basketball and Softball games. She enjoyed visiting family and friends, along with her son’s horses in Lincoln and South Dakota.

Ann could best be described as a “giver”; always willing to help others. At one time she was a host mother to several international students at the University of Nebraska, becoming a second mother to many so far from their own families overseas. Several around the world continued to stay in contact with her over the years.

Once she moved into an assisted living facility, she again became a second mother to the young women who helped take care of her.

Ann is survived by her two sons, Gary (Lincoln) and Kirby (Santa Ana, CA). She was preceded in death by her husband, sons Gregory and Richard Kent, along with her daughter Julie Ann. She was also preceded in death by her parents and 6 siblings, sisters Dorothy Detenbeck; Ruth Kissinger; Elnora Josephine (Jo) Allard; and brothers Wayne, Charles Bernard and Fred Strawder.

Visitation will be Thursday, April 28, 2022, 4:00-7:00 PM, at Lincoln Memorial Funeral Home. 6800 S. 14th St, Lincoln, NE. Celebration of Life Service will be Friday, April 29, 2022, 2:00 PM, at Lincoln Memorial Funeral Home. Interment following at Lincoln Memorial Cemetery. 6700 S. 14th St, Lincoln, NE. For those unable to attend the service in person, please follow the link below at the time of service to join the family virtually: https://view.oneroomstreaming.com/authorise.php?k=1650500023179541

As a memorial to mother, the family and the Lincoln Saltdogs plan to work together to find a way to memorialize her love of baseball and the Saltdogs. We celebrated her birthday at a Saltdogs game every year since 2002.

Memorials can be sent to:

Ann Westergren

c/o Gary Westergren

2911 South 89th St.

Lincoln, NE 68520

EULOGY

Mother had numerous people join her life at many different points during her journey here on earth. Some of you may feel like you tuned into the middle of a movie, and are wondering about the parts what you missed. So, my brother Kirby and I will try to go back to the beginning and fill in some of those missing parts for you.

Every good book has a Preface. My Preface is to tell you about a rancher I met in Wyoming many years ago. His name was Bob Stoddard. One of the first things I noticed about Bob was he had his initials monogrammed on the cuff of his shirts; B. S.

As we liked to say, “… ol’ Bob never let the facts interfere with a good story…” So, sit back boys and girls, and I’ll tell you a story. Near as we can tell, it’s mostly true.

Ann Elizabeth Strawder Westergren was born on July 11th, 1924. It was a Friday. We’re guessing it was probably hot like it usually is that time of year.

It was important to mother that people knew she was born on the Henry Vedders place near Wallace, NE. It’s near the ranch where a couple of her nephews live today. Not far from a family ranch cemetery where her closest brother and sister-law are buried. It’s on a hill that overlooks miles of prairie pasture.

She was the first child born to Elmer and Gertrude Brisbin Strawder. She would eventually have 3 younger brothers: Wayne, Bernard and Fred. And 3 younger sisters: Dorothy, Ruth and Jo. They all have passed before mother.

We have the impression they lived on a few farms around Wallace until they could afford to buy a place northwest of Wallace.

Mother grew up in an era that was very much different than we have it here today. Life was very challenging. Only the strong survived.

There was no electricity. No running water. No indoor plumbing. No natural gas.

I recall stories of burning dried up cow chips or tumble weeds in the stove for heat in the winter.The only air conditioning was an open window. Kirby found a picture that appeared to show chicken wire over the windows. We assumed that was to keep the chickens from flying into the house. There was a cistron out front of the house with a pump handle. We surmise some of the children had the responsibility to take a bucket out to get water for cooking, washing dishes and baths.

We recall mother telling stories of going to visit grampa Brisbin. He still lived in sod hut when she was a child. She said she didn’t like to stay there. An occasionally a snake would wander in.

Some of you have may heard her stories about her cow milking. As the oldest, she was responsible for going out to milk cows, in the dark, and the cold, before she went to school. Occasionally, one of them would kick over the milk bucket and spill it. This would lead to her being chewed out by her father for wasting it.

I recall hearing a story about a rope being strung between the house and the barn some winters. This was to make sure you could find your way back to the house during a blizzard.

Growing up in the 20s and 30s on a farm in western Nebraska, you had to figure how to grow or raise your old food. Her mother always had a big garden. There were cows, chickens and crops. Farm equipment was pulled by mules or horses. There were no tractors in those early days.

Clothes were homemade or hand me downs from other family members or relatives.

They may have gone to town once a week or once a month, depending on the weather. I recall our grandparents talking about going to town “to trade”. Eventually I figured out what they meant. It was because they traded milk and eggs for other goods.

Then there was the Dust Bowl. We recall stories of them washing dishes after each meal. And then again before the next meal because the dust blew that into the house since the last one.

There was no radio, no TV, no internet, no Facebook, no Netflix in her childhood. Their entertainment was playing cards or board games after supper in the evenings. Growing up she learned the fine art of conversation, which became a big part of the rest of her life.

Times were tough. The depression. The Dust Bowl. The second World War. Growing up in these times conditioned Mother for the challenges she would face later in life. Some say what doesn’t kill you, makes you stronger. Mother was a strong woman.

Mother began school at a country school. Then on into town for Junior and Senior High. She graduated from Wallace High School in 1942. She said home economics was her favorite class.

In those days, many children left home when the graduated from high school. They went to wherever they can find work and relieve the burden on their parents. Or they left just to get off the farm and see the outside world.

Ann moved to live with a family in Holdrege, Nebraska after High School. She helped clean house. She eventually landed a job as a waitress at the Cozy Inn Café just across from the train depot. There she met her lifelong friend, Phelsa.

We’re not exactly sure how mother met dad. But one story goes that mother walked across the street to the train depot one evening to mail a letter home. Phelsa’s husband, Bob, got off the train on leave from the service. The was another soldier with him. So, mother and the two men walked back across the street to the Cozy Inn Café.

The other soldier turned out to be Oscar Westergren. Mother’s life changed that evening.

Dad was in the Army training on a base near Little Rock, Arkansas when they got married on March 20th, 1943. Dad told the story that he had to pull another soldier in off the street to be his best man. He also joked with us kids not to go to Pulaski County, Arkansas. You might come back married.

They moved from Little Rock to another army base in San Antonio, Texas. One of the slide show pictures is of the two of them in a boat of the river in San Antonio. Not long after that, dad shipped off to war. And mother returned to Holdrege. During and after the War, mother held jobs as a clerk at Gamble and JC Penny stores in Holdrege.

My first life recollections were living in a one room apartment across the street from the train depot on the west side of East Avenue in Holdrege. A couple years later, they moved to 208 Hancock Street. It was across the street from the City Park. And the Dairy Queen. It was a great place to grow up. This was before they invented the DQ Blizzard yet.

Over the years the family started to grow. After me, there was Greg, Kirby, Kent and then Julie. Once Kirby arrived, the Hancock house got to be too small. We moved to 1301 Garfield St in the fall of 1955. It was a double lot on the northwest corner of 13th and Garfield. Another great neighborhood to grow up in. Plenty of room for kids to play ball over the years. Lots of neighbor kids to play with. Lots of room for mother’s garden.

Like her mother growing up, Ann loved to grow a large garden everywhere they lived. They always produced fresh vegetables for the summer months, and canned vegetables for the winter months.

As us kids grew older and less demanding on mother’s time, she found work outside the home. She was a bookkeeper for Trenchard Oil on 4th Avenue in Holdrege. And then as a receptionist for Dr. Patrick, an ophthalmologist in town. His office was on East Avenue. This began a lifelong friendship with the Patrick family and their children.

All their lives, both parents worked hard. There was no 8 to 5 back in those days. Most times, no Saturday or Sunday’s off.

At the Garfield Street home, mom and dad became good friends with their neighbors, Lawrence and Bev. They remained great friend the rest of their lives.

The card games, occasional nights out and bowling nights provided a welcome relief to the 6- and 7-day work weeks.

Once a year, Lawrence and dad’s bowling team went to a winter bowling tournament in Grand Island. It provided a great winter get away for mother and the other wives. Those of you who live in a small town, or on a ranch or farm, know a road trip is always welcome get away.

Other than visiting relatives over the holidays, the only real vacation in her life was in 1955. The folks loaded Kirby, Greg and I in their ’55 Mercury station and headed to California to visit dad’s brother Paul. There she got to visit Knotts Berry Farm theme park. And go to Disneyland after it just after it opened. She greatly enjoyed the trip.

And she survived the anxiety fears of losing one of her kids at the massive and crowded theme parks. Those of you who are close to the family will know which son she was worried about.

In the mid-70s, dad sold his business and went to work for a construction company out of Fremont, Nebraska. Eventually they moved into a duplex in Eagle, Nebraska, just east of Lincoln. There was an empty lot south of the duplex. This gave mother the opportunity to grow another garden. She loved having a garden. And it kept her busy while dad was away during the week.

After dad retired in the early 80s, they moved into Lincoln.

Retirement provided them the opportunity to go traveling with Kirby, as his job took him to Montana, Oregon, Washington and California. They really enjoyed traveling and seeing other parts of the country. Going to visit relatives.

Kirby was part of a foreign exchange program after he graduated from High School. Because of these previous experiences, the folks got involved with a foreign student program at the University of Nebraska in the early 90s. This opened a whole new chapter in mother’s life.

The students mostly came from the Asian Rim. A few from Europe. These students missed their families and friends back home. Some of them were not allowed to return home until they graduated with their degree. It was a challenging time in these young students’ lives.

Typically, mother would have them over for dinner once a month. Sometimes more. There were many phone calls. It provided a family atmosphere for these students so far from home. And it gave them an opportunity to practice their English with mother. And anyone who ever met my mother, knows she like to visit. That fine art learned in her childhood back in Wallace.

Over the holidays, the dorms at the University would close. The folks provided some a place stay over the holidays since they couldn’t go home.

Many of those friendships continued for the rest of mother’s life. Some of the students remained in the U.S. and raised their own families in Minnesota, Texas and Indiana. Others went back to their homes in Malaysia, but maintained contact with mother for the remainder of her life.

We surmised it helped fill part pf a void in her life after she lost her youngest son, Kent, back in the 1981 in a traffic accident while driving his truck in Texas.

Another relationship mother formed began in the late 90s. This one opened another new window in her life.

She needed some help fixing things at their house. A student on Nebraska’s Women’s basketball team circulated a Handi-Man flyer trying to find odd jobs during the summer. She turned out to be great help, and they got on famously. That friendship grew to included her mother and brother here in Nebraska.

Steph went on the play professional basketball internationally. She now lives in Australia and may be tuned into our celebration today.

This also began mother’s love of Nebraska women’s basketball here. Jim, a family friend had season tickets. He invited us to a game sometime in the 90s and mother was hooked. As she got older it became more difficult to get up and down the arena steps. So, we got courtside seats.

The view was great, but mother needed to make a personal conduct adjustment. You see, there has never been a referee’s call made against Nebraska that she agreed with.

Our seats were near mid court. One of the refs would usually stand in the vicinity of our seats throughout the game. On more than one occasion, I had to remind her, “Mother! You’re going to get us kicked out if you don’t keep quite!”

Once she had to start going to the games in a wheel chair it became a little more challenging, but she only missed an occasional game if it was too cold out.

I remember a special moment for her at one of those games. One of the refs came over and asked mother to hold the game ball while he tied his shoe. She sat there holding the ball with a big smile on her face. We included the picture on the slide show.

Mother was introduced to another passion in her life when Lincoln Saltdogs baseball started in 2001. It was towards the end of dad’s life and he needed a wheel chair to walk any distance at all.

So, I got us seats wheelchair section on the upper lever, first base side. Dad loved watching the Braves on TV. Mother got hooked on live baseball. So, I got them season tickets.

After dad pasted in 2003, Mother, and her daughter Julie, would continue to go to all of the games, even when I was out of town for work. Mother hated to miss one. If Julie wasn’t available, she’d go by herself.

Mother was a people watcher. She enjoyed the games. And cheering or occasionally mumbling about the players. But she loved watching the people most of all.

She loved visiting with the other fans. And she loved watching Homer, the Saltdogs mascot. She loved when Homer would stop by to say hello to her at the games.

I would tell people it would remind us of my early childhood days. People would sit on their porch in the evenings and visit with neighbors was they passed by.

Over the years we usually had a big birthday celebration for dad. But mother never seemed to want to make a big deal out of her birthday. So, in 2002, I suggested we have her birthday party at a Saltdogs game. She reluctantly agreed.

Every year since then, we’ve had her birthday party at the Saltdogs. The guest list has grown over the years. The last few years we needed two Suites to make room for the 40-50 people who wanted to come celebrate her birthday. Last year, the guest list for her 97th birthday was so long, we had to celebrated on two different nights to accommodate all of her friends.

Over the years it became more difficult for mother to navigate her walk over to the 1st base side, so we moved over to the 3rd base side. It was much closer to the elevator. I told people it was mother’s private skybox suite.

Eventually, she needed to use a wheel chair to get to the games. But she didn’t want to miss any. She made it to most of the games last year.

Just a couple weeks ago, she was asking me when the new season began. This season won’t be the same without mother in her regular seat at the games.

Another source of enjoyment for mother was trips to South Dakota to see my horses at the two ranches up there. And to see her new friends she made at both places.

She formed a special bond with Val Loiseau at one of those ranches. He has cerebral palsy, can’t hear or speak. But he always had a big smile for everyone he met. Especially for mother. They hit it right off. Language was not a barrier. She was always asking me how Skinny Ralph was doing.

When I would be up at the ranch, Val and I would go for a drive so we could call mother. She would talk to him on the phone, even though he couldn’t hear. He would make his noises to talk back at her and wave to her. She loved his famous “raptor call” noise he’d make over the phone.

In 2016, it got tougher for mother to make the long trip to western South Dakota. I brought one my horses, Anna Belle, to live with Rachel and Jamie east of Lincoln, Mother had named Anna Belle when she was born, so she was always her favorite. I’m sorry she won’t be here to welcome Anna Belle’s first foal next spring. She would have really enjoyed that.

She really going on drives in the country. Loved stopping out to see the Twins and their horses. Feeding treats to the horses and petting them. And feeding treats to their dogs. Throwing the ball for Murphy.

Over the years, mom and dad enjoyed getting in the car and going for a drive. Nowhere in particular. Just a drive. Maybe stop for pie and coffee somewhere. Stauffer’s Café in Lincoln was her favorite place to stop in Lincoln. With dad’s passing, I became the chauffer.

One of the nicknames I gave dad late in life, was SUNSHINE. At times he definitely could be a curmudgeon. After his death, I learned mother was using SUNBEAM in her email address name. So, I got her a license plate that said SUNBEAM. She very pretty proud of that. And the car it was on.

In June of 2017, mother lost her daughter Julie. They were best friends and spent a great deal of time together after dad passed away. It was a loss that mother never really got over.

In May of 2018, mother moved to Assisted Living at the Legacy here in Lincoln. Thus began another new chapter in her life. She was introduced to new, young friends who would play an important part of her life.

A series of health issues made it necessary to have some part time assistance in the mornings, at meal times and bed time. Her care givers were mostly young women. Some going to school at the time. Some wanting part time work. This group of caring women filled the huge void created by the loss of her daughter. They become her extended family of children. She became additional grandmother and friend for them. This was a blessing she received late in her life.

Through out her life, family was very important to her. Her brothers and sisters. And all of their families and children. She loved going to their family reunions in Wallace. Later in life, when she couldn’t travel, she enjoyed seeing her nieces who would come to visit. There was an occasion FaceTime visit. And she especially enjoyed the visits of her great niece, Gracie.

We encourage you to enjoy the many pictures Kirby put together for her slide show. We don’t know who everyone is some of those really old pictures. But if you grab one of her extended family here, I’m sure they would be happy to share what they know.

Throughout her 97 plus years, mother touched many lives. There will be a void with her passing. But she will not be forgotten.

And mother, you’ll be happy to know there were two brand new baby girls born on the ranch this morning. Both palominos. Your favorite kind. One was running around her mother 15 minutes after she was born. We may have another winner there!