Bobbie, my heartfelt prayers to you and family.  I don't remember meeting  Gene, but my hugs and love go out to you .

2013 - Riverside, California. Studio portrait of Bobbie and Gene. 
Gene passed away on 11/20/2023  just 3 weeks shy of their 47th wedding anniversary (12/11/2023). 
Much kudos goes to Dave Willmon, Gene's Army buddy, who made sure they kept their 52+ years of friendship going strong with monthly lunches and great political talks. Gene served in political office because of the support of Dave.

Riverside, California. (L to R) Collin, Marjorie and Alex now all grown up but still cute.

1990 - Riverside, California. Family portrait of Gene, Bobbie, Alex (age 12) and Marjorie (age 5) with Collin (age 4) now added.

1984 - Riverside, California. Family portrait of Gene, Bobbie and Alex with little Marjorie (6 weeks old) added.

1980 - Riverside, California. Gene, Alex and his fuzzy friend pose in front of their new car and house.

1979 - Kansas City Airport. Gene, Bobbie and Alex.

1978 - Riverside, California. Gene's wife, Bobbie, his son, Alex, their first born and Gene.  He was a devoted father and grandfather, never missing a family event even in the midst of his cancer treatments.

1978 - Riverside California. Gene with Alex, his first-born. 
Gene loved watching sports - especially the Nebraska Cornhuskers (his Alma Mater), Kansas City Chiefs, and Green Bay Packers. 
Gene enjoyed many diverse news programs, detective, spy and murder mystery shows and Jeopardy TV game show.

1978 - Riverside, California. Gene is getting a nap while Alex does the same.  
Gene continued to enjoy his ball playing skills by starring for the Toro team for several decades. Gene also came to love bridge and played every lunch hour  for many years at Toro with his friends, John, Kenney and others. He also played handball for over a decade at Toro.

1978 - Riverside, California. Gene with his first child, Alex. Gene worked for Toro for 35 years in the Production and Inventory Control area - until his retirement in on 07/07/2007 when Bobbie also retired from her computer progamming position.

1977 - Riverside, California. Gene married Bobbie (Reichert) on December 11, 1976.   They had their first child, Alex, in 1977. He is pictured above with Bobbie. 
After his Hawaii trip, Gene had moved to Riverside, lived with his Army buddy, Dave Wilmot, and went to work with the lawn sprinkler division of Toro where he met his future wife.

Hawaii Island, Hawaii - June 1972. Gene, Myrna and Lucille posing in on a lava flow field. Al is taking the photo. They also toured Parker Ranch, the second largest ranch in the USA.  They took a dip in the Pacific when they saw a beach that looked really appealing.

Hawaii Island, Hawaii (Gold Coast area) - June 1972. Myrna, Al and Gene pictured here stayed the first night of their four day tour of the Big Island (Hawaii) at the Hotel King Kamehameha. Hawaii has two active volcanos that encompass about half of the island.

Oahu Island, Hawaii - June 1972. Gene, Myrna and Al are standing on a ledge above the Spouting Horn (on Pacific Ocean) where waves would fill a rock formation and spout high into the air. Lucille is taking the photo.

Honolulu, Hawaii - June 1972. Gene with two of Al's classmates, Glen and Diane at the wedding reception of Al and Myrna. United Church of Christ, where the wedding was performed, had a reception hall next to it in Japanese Tea House theme.

Honolulu, Hawaii - June 1972. Gene with Lucille (his mom), Myrna Luz and Albert at Al and Myrna's wedding at the UCC Church next to U of Hawaii where Al and Myrna attended graduate school. Gene and his mom spent over a week on wedding preparations since Al and Myrna were still in school but much of each day was still spent touring Honolulu and the rest of Oahu Island.

Oahu Island,  Hawaii - June 1972. Posing at the Polynesian Cultural Center are Gene, Myrna and Albert. Lucille is snapping the photo. The center is on the North Shore Area - opposite Honolulu. It is owned and operated by the Mormon Church and staffed by their students from the islands highlight by the Center.

Outside of Honolulu, Hawaii - June 1972. Touring the Island of Oahu, Hawaii's most populated island in Albert's Opal Kadet. Gene, his mom, Lucille and Myrna Luz, Albert's fiancee. Albert is snapping the photo.

Honolulu, Hawaii - June 1972. Lucille and Gene posing at Punchbowl Cemetery which overlooks Honolulu on the Waikiki Bay side. This is a magnificent view of the city and the ocean. It is their national cemetery.

Honolulu, Hawaii - June 1972. Albert, Myrna and Gene on the boat at Pearl Harbor (with Lucille snapping the photo), the most famous attraction. Visitors are taken the the Missouri Battleship, the most famous site via boat.

Honolulu, Hawaii - June 1972 - First stop on arriving to help with brother Albert's wedding was to King's Coffee Shop. It was famous for its pastries. Gene's mom, Lucille, is on left, then Myrna Luz Corneja, Albert's fiancee, then Gene with the traditional lei (garland) given to loved one coming to, or leaving Hawaii.

Gene with his lifelong buddy, Steve Gottula, who was visiting over December 1967 Christmas vacation. Steve moved to Denver after high school and Gene visited him there when passing through.  The Gottula's had a large family. Steve was the oldest. It was not unusual for some of his younger siblings to tag along and watch t.v. at the Lierz house. Gene's sister and brother would babysit with the Gottula clan as the dad was a traveling salesman for GE.

July 1966 - Gene posing with his Uncle Glen, a younger brother of Gene's mom. The basketball hoop in the background was where Albert and Gene played with neighbor kids.
When grandpa Wichman retired and moved into Seneca, Glen bought his farm. Glen would host Easter at his house. Audrey, his sister, would host Christmas. Thanksgiving was at at Grandpa and Grandma's in Seneca.  Walt and Lucille later sold their service station and moved in with Grandma Wichman to care for her.

June 1966 - part of the wedding party for Carol Wichman, oldest son of Gene's uncle, Walt Wichman (older brother of Gene's mom). Walt had a farm bordering Seneca on the north. He usually had horses or ponies available for a ride.

Christmas vacation 1965-6. Gene with older brother, Albert,  settling in for a feast. Gene finished his first semester at UNL with a 4.0 and made honor role. He studied for a business degree with a major in management.  Gene related once that "Education at St. John's High School was way superior to what you would see anywhere else. Three of my UNL classes used books I had in high school."

Gene preparing a first class steak. Walt Lierz would share a steer raised by John Steinauer that they thought had the best meat.
Gene related: "There were three movie theaters next to UNL and each had a new movie each week.  I liked movies and developed the habit of watching these three movies every week – about 156 movies a year. I continued my love for, and attendance at movies for the rest of my life. "

Gene home for Christmas 1967 posing with Grandpa Wichman. Gene was stationed at Camp Red Cloud, about 20 miles from Seoul in Training and Operations with the 71st Artillery - part of air defense.  Officers could not drive, so besides his usual duties, sometimes Gene used to drive them around in a jeep. Gene's tour was 12 months but he extended 6 more months to apply for a specific position in California.  He got an extra month vacation with this extension. He used it to tour Tokyo with 3 buddies.

Gene home for Christmas 1967 with his dad, mom and brother, Albert who was in his Air Force uniform.  After basic training, Gene was sent for ten weeks of training in restocking and supply at Fort Lee, Virginia. Next it was to Fort Lewis, Washington to await his flight to Korea.

Gene posing in his Army uniform with his dad at Christmas 1967.  Gene relates how in basic training they pulled out all those with high test scores looking for officer candidates for infantry or artillery. Gene said it sounded like a career path straight to a body bag so he said I'm staying where I'm at.

Gene posing in his Army uniform with his mom at Christmas time 1967.  He had just finished boot camp which was 8 weeks long. It was the same training for everyone - even OCS candidates (Officer Candidate School).

Gene is home for Christmas 1967 after finishing boot camp in the Army at Fort Benning, Georgia.  After attending UNL for two years, Gene decided to take a break and do his military service. Then return to UNL and finish using the G. I. Bill for his last two years. The flight from Omaha to Atlanta was Gene's first flight.

May 1965 - Gene wearing his cassock for graduation from St. John's.  His aunt, Audrey, Lucille's younger sister, and her husband, Norm pose with Gene. They drove from Seneca, Kansas where Norm was the veterinarian to attend many functions of the Lierz family. Gene sported a flat-top haircut throughout high school.

Father Gruesser, the parish priest for St. Anthony's in Steinauer, with his Boston Terrier, visiting the Lierz's.  Gene's dad is in the background. Gene served mass for Rev. Gruesser frequently.  Gene complained how one summer Rev. Gruesser made him teach the religion class for those who did not attend the Catholic School.

Christmas 1965 - Gene, a senior now at St. John's,  poses with his mom, Lucille's cat. After Gene's dog, Champ, was run-over and killed shortly after Gene's family moved from the farm, Lucille would always have cats instead of a dog.

August 1962 - Gene posing in front of his home in his American Legion baseball uniform with his cousin, Gary Lierz, who lived a block away. Gene was 15 and the star shortstop and hitter by this time.

Gene with his sister, Sharon, at Thanksgiving 1962 in front of their Steinauer home. Gene was a sophomore at St. John's , Elkhorn, Nebraska.  It was a boarding school. Students were only allowed to come home for holiday and summer vacations. Gene's brother, Albert, was a sophomore in junior college at St. John's also.

Gene with his brother-in-law, Kermit McCue (left) and brother, Albert, (middle). Kermit and Gene's sister, Sharon, came home every weekend from Grand Island where Kermit taught K-12 and stayed at the Lierz home  until Sharon died when Gene was age 14. Gene had been very close with Kermit and Sharon.

Gene's dad, Walt, with his gas delivery truck. Gene might run the station while Walt was delivering gas to farms. Gene could watch television in their adjacent home until a customer came. He would hear a bell the cars run over to alert him.

Gene is about age 12 here. His older brother, Albert, was away at boarding school since Gene was ten so he replaced him working at the family service station. He is standing with his father, Walt, in front of the room where cars were put up on hoists to be greased. Gene was a "grease monkey."

Gene with his American Legion Midget Division(under age 16) baseball team. He is second from the left in the first row.  Gene was only age 12 or 13 at this time. His brother, Albert, (top row without a uniform) was the manager. He started with Gene as the catcher but later moved him to second base.  Gene became an excellent baseball player.

Gene attended St. Anthony of Padua Catholic School (grades 1-8) in Steinauer - a 3-class room school house.  There were only about fifty students so Gene always had less than seven students in his class.  He vied for top honors. Gene would walk home for lunch since he lived only three blocks away.

Wedding photo of Gene's parents, Walter Henry Lierz and Mary Lucille Wichman. Walter had 13 brothers and sisters. Lucille had 8 brothers and sisters. Gene grew up surrounded by aunts, uncles and cousins.  He was frequently at the farm of his maternal grandparents at age 1-4 when he lived about three miles from their farm. Later his family celebrated many holidays at Lucille's parents home or one of her sisters homes.  But the annual reunion of Walt's family was a blast with dozens of cousins Gene's age.

Gene at age 4 or 5 in front of the Steinauer home. He grew up in a village life almost like Medieval Times. The Catholic Church,  Catholic school, and priest's and nun's houses were on the hill dominating the town. Gene attended the Catholic school taught by Benedictine nuns. He attended mass and took communion almost daily.

Walt and Lucille bought a run-down gas station in Steinauer, Nebraska, a small village of 120, when Gene was four. Their adjoining house did have electricity and indoor plumbing.  Gene learned all the service station tasks - pumping gas, repairing tires, greasing cars, etc.  and helped at the station even in his adult years when home on vacation.

Gene age 2. Gene's sister, Sharon, was six years older and his brother, Albert, 4 years older. They roamed the farm together playing with the many animals and doing chores. The ate very well and experienced a tranquil childhood.

Gene age 1. Gene was born into a farm family east of Seneca, Kansas on July 27, 1947 to Walter and Lucille Lierz. He was raised in a loving but poor family in a house without electricity or indoor plumbing. He was baptized a Catholic and remained a practicing Catholic all his life. The Benedictine monks and nuns who served his parish and taught at his school had a significant impact on him.

OBITUARIO

Eugene Lawrence Lierz

27 julio, 1947 – 20 noviembre, 2023

Miller Jones Mortuary and Crematory

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