Delores was born in Arcadia, NE on July 8, 1927 to Lyte & Aretta Bellinger. Delores was the eldest of 4 children, growing up with siblings Dale Bellinger, James Bellinger (deceased age 6), and Lyta Bellinger (Honaker). The Great Depression kept the family on the move with stops in Wyoming, Ohio, Nebraska and Maryland. After the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941 her dad was hired away from the Fairchild Airplane Factory in Maryland to work at the Martin Bomber plant in Nebraska. It was there she started her sophomore year at Papillion High School, and met Wilbert Wittmuss. She enjoyed her time in Papillion and made many friends and was involved in lots of school activities. As a cheerleader, she enjoyed cheering on the schools’ winning basketball team, which just happened to include Wilbert. After graduation in 1945 she worked for the Sarpy Co. Extension Office and later became Deputy Co. Clerk. On August 16, 1947 she married her high school sweetheart Wilbert. August 16th, 1947 was also the Inaugural Papillion Days, and decades later Delores would become Grand Marshall of the Papillion Days parade. On December 8th 1950 they welcomed son Richard and her special group the Nezods (Dozens) was formed, on April 18th 1953 they welcomed Lou Ann, and then Laurie on May 14th 1956. Delores kept busy with their children and working at the Sarpy County ASCS farm program until their move to Salt Lake City, Utah in 1967. They returned to Papillion in the late 1970's just in time to enjoy their grandchildren Erin (1975), Ryan (1979) and Whitney (1989). During her time in Papillion, Delores continually volunteered and was a tireless worker in all aspects of the growth in the Papillion Community. She served as president of the Junior Woman's Club and represented the Papillion chapter in the Mrs. Nebraska Contest, where she finished in the top three. She served as March of Dimes chairman, was Superintendent of Methodist Church Sunday School, was active in the Historical Committee, a member of VFW Auxiliary, and to round it out was a founding member of the Papillion Schools Foundation board of Directors. In 1990 she was inducted into the Papillion LaVista Schools Foundation Hall of Fame, and Delores & Wilbert established the "Wilbert & Delores Endowment for Student Opportunity in the Trades" for the Papillion LaVista Schools. In 2019, The Papillion LaVista Schools Foundation honored Delores and her friend, Anita Kennedy by dedicating the Wittmuss-Kennedy Conference Room. As important as her volunteer work was to her, nothing compared to her devotion to her family. Delores never missed a chance to cheer on the Papillion LaVista Monarchs or the Nebraska Cornhuskers. She had a unique way of making every small thing “special”. She especially loved her husband of 71 years, Wilbert. She loved her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren and always found ways to spend time with them. She will be missed tremendously but the impact she made on her family and the community will live on, forever.
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