Lawrence John Riedmann

Ruth Ann Riedmann Elsasser

Madeline Marie Riedmann and Anton Richard Panowicz, Sr.

Clement Julius Van Moorleghem

Frances Anne Riedmann and Robert Garvin

Mary Pat Riedmann Greene

Sharon Riedmann

In Memory of Lawrence John Riedmann
1930-1951

Lawrence, or Lory as he was called in the family, was born August 5, 1930 on Al and Frances’ 11th wedding anniversary. He attended St. Patrick’s Grade School and South High School. After school he drove a truck and delivered pop for his dad at Willow Springs. His customers were fond of him. His older brother Al took over his route for him after he was called up into the Army to go to Korea. Al said they all remembered him when news came out of his death in the war.

Lory was a carefree and fun-loving young man, with an ornery side that could get him in trouble. But because of his pleasing personality it was hard for people to get mad at him. He use to tag along with brother Al and would occasionally double date with him and his girlfriend, and future wife, Shirley. They use to go roller skating quite often. He also loved swimming at Peony Park and would attend dances there. He met Birdie Marsh and was dating her before he was called back into active duty. He had a Chevrolet that he use to drive and was very proud of. He gave it to his younger brother Lou when he left for Korea.

He originally enlisted in the Army in 1948 with the help of his mother. He was never fond of working at the pop plant and wanted to get away. After basic training at Fort Sill, Oklahoma and his first tour he came back home. He was later recalled to active duty during the Korean War on September 28, 1950. Lory was 20 years old. He served with the 2nd Division, 23rd Infantry Reg, E Company. He was shipped to Korea on December 23rd as a rifleman. He arrived in Korea on January 1, 1951, shortly after the Chinese entry in the Korean War and the American retreat from the Chosin Reservoir. He fought during Operation Ripper, the UN counterattack to push the Communist Chinese forces back to the 38th parallel. He fought in the famous Battle of Chipyong-ni three weeks before he was killed. This battle is regarded as the Gettysberg of the Korean War and was a major turning point. His regiment earned the Presidential Unit Citation for this battle.

Lory was killed in battle on March 8th, 1951. His parents, Al and Frances, were notified a month later by telegram on April 8th. Al was at work at the pop plant at 13th and Jones when the telegram came. The messenger who delivered the telegram stayed while Al read the letter and made sure Al was okay before he left the plant. Al called his daughter Frannie and asked her to go be with her mom at the house at 504 Martha. He then called the kids and told them about Lory. He asked that they wait until he went home and told Frances himself. The minute he walked in the door Frances knew it was about Lory. Al's face was white.

Lory’s body was returned to the United States. A Mass for him was held at St. Patrick’s Church on 14th and Castelar. He was taken to Fort Leavenworth, Kansas where a Requiem High Mass was held. He is buried in the base cemetery at Fort Leavenworth, grave 300 C Station B. His mom wanted him buried there to be with the rest of his buddies whom he served with. His name can be also found on the Korean War Memorial at Memorial Park in Omaha. Lory posthumously was awarded a Purple Heart and received several other medals for his service. His brother Lou proudly displays the flag that was draped over his casket. His nephew Chip has accumuated the medals he earned. May he rest in peace.

The story of Lory's experiences in Korea have been documented and can be viewed by downloading it here. It is a large fie and will take a while if you have a dial up connection. As more information is learned the story will be updated.

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In Memory of Ruth Ann Riedmann Elsasser
1933-1992

For those of you that knew Ruth, you know that she loved children, golf, a Windsor Press, a cold beer by the water or on a boat, football games, shopping anywhere, traveling, or at home entertaining family and friends. She had fun with whatever she was doing.

For those of you that didn't know Ruth, she was one heck of a lady and one great Mom. I believe if she was alive today should still be doing all the things she always did. She would probably be retired but busier than ever. I think we would be doing some traveling together. She would have loved watching Andy graduate from High School and would have been taking massive pictures the night Matt went to Prom. She would also love to see Brandon playing his electric guitar, and Sammy playing the drums, and watching Casey play soccer or baseball. Last but not least there would be Megan, being the only granddaughter in the bunch. What a pair that would be. She would have loved Dale's bride Brenda and the bond that her children have with one another. Mom would have loved Celine Dion and the Botanical Gardens and what happened to her Enron Co. I am so glad we have always carried her around in our hearts. That way we believe that she has never missed a thing.

Her Family
July 5, 2002

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In Memory of Madeline Marie Riedmann and Anton Richard Panowicz, Sr.
1920-1994 / 1918-1997

Madeline "Madge" Riedmann Panowicz was born September 16, 1920 to Alfred and Frances (Vacek) Riedmann in Omaha, Nebraska. She was the oldest of eight brothers and sisters. She grew up in Omaha attending Train School, St. Patrick's Grade School and South High School. She was a talented seamstress and won first place in the Nebraska High School Sewing Contest. She baby-sat in the summers, starting at age 12. She could cook and bake as well as her mom.

Anton "Tony" Panowicz was born on February 7, 1918 to John and Victoria (Pruss) Panowicz in St. Paul, Nebraska. He graduated from St. Paul High School in 1935. Tony joined the Grand Union Tea Company of Omaha, Nebraska acting as sales manager for crews of salesmen covering the states of Nebraska, Iowa and South Dakota.

Madge and Tony met a polka dance held in Sokol Park. His first dance was with her sister, Irene, much to the dismay to Madge who already had her eye on him. Being the older sister she let Irene know that he was hands off.

Tony was drafted into the service and sent to boot camp in Little Rock, Arkansas. Madge and Tony wanted to get married before he left, but there was not enough time to arrange it. Her mom promised they could get married on his first furlough. The furlough came through at the end of June when he was to be sent to Officers Candidate School in Fort Belvoir, Virginia. He was given a 10 day leave. It took Tony 4 days to hitchhike back to Omaha. He arrived the day before the wedding. Madge had a wedding shower, bought her dress and made arrangements for the wedding in that short time. Madge and Tony were finally married on July 5, 1942 at St. Patrick's Church. The reception and polka dance was held at the American Legion Hall in South Omaha. They both left Omaha by train for Virginia 2 days after the wedding.

Before he went overseas he was sent to Fort Lewis, Washington where he and his new bride first became acquainted with Olympia. She returned to Omaha to stay with her parents when Tony left for Europe. Their first child, Rick, was born on March 26, 1944 while Tony was oversees. The first time Tony saw his his son was in the fall of 1945 after he was discharged from the Army.

Major Panowicz was with the XIX Corps of Engineers that ultimately stormed Omaha Beach in Normandy France. The Corps fought through France, Belgium, into Germany and finally Berlin, participating in the defeat of Nazi Germany. He received many citations for his military career including the Bronze Star.

He and Madge remembered their early 40's stay in Olympia and returned for good in 1946. Madge really wanted to stay in Omaha and be with her family. She cried half the way to Washington. About halfway there she called home. Her mom made it clear in no uncertain terms that Tony was her husband and she belonged with him. That settled the matter. Together they opened the "Jewel Box" in 1948 and it eventually became Panowicz Jewelers and Gem Shop. They later sold the shop to their son Rob in 1982.

Tony and Madge had three sons and a daughter: Richard, Robert, Russell and Ruthann Goularte. They have four grandchildren.

The community was very important to Madge and Tony. She always believed that "you must give back what you receive." They were members of the St. Michael Parish, Olympia Yacht Club, Olympia Country Club, Olympia Opera Guild where they helped several people with their careers, and the Washington Center for Performing Arts. She also was also active in Saint Agatha Guild, Catholic Youth Organization, Catholic Daughters of America, and Rosarian Guild. Tony was also active in the Fraternal Order of Elks, the American Gem Society, Rotary, and the Knights of Columbus. He was a past president of the Washington State Jewelers Association and was on the boards of Saint Martin's College, the Salvation Army, Heritage Park, Retail Jewelers of America, and the Washington Center for Performing Arts. Tony was honored by the Masterworks Choral Ensemble for outstanding contributions to the Arts and to the community.

Tony and Madge, besides their many friends and family, enjoyed traveling and had done so extensively over the years. She would help out occasionally at her daughter Ruthann's store, Drees. When not helping someone, or traveling, Tony and Madge could be found on their beloved boat, "Mona Lisa".

Madge died of cardiac arrest on July 11, 1994, six days after their 52nd anniversary. She was an optimist and had a strong desire to help young people get ahead. She also remembered how hard it was to be a newcomer in Olympia and liked to help people meet each other.

Tony died of lung cancer on January 5, 1997. Tony will always be remembered as an upbeat person who was a pillar of the Olympia community.

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In Memory of Clement Julius Van Moorleghem
1922-2001

"Clem" was born on September 6^th, 1922 in Underwood, Iowa.  His family owned a farm at the time and moved to Omaha when he was 9 months old.  He was the youngest of five children.  His parents were Rene and Laura Van Moorleghem from Ingooihem, Belgium.  His brothers and sisters were Hazel Van Moorleghem Miller, George, Ambrose, and Jerome. He attended St. Mary's and Corrigan Grade Schools and South High School.  His father was a carpenter and Clem helped him build three homes after work for himself, Irene and their children.

While growing up during the Great Depression he was paperboy for the Omaha Bee News and a caddy at Happy Hollow Country Club.  He gave everything he earned to his Mom to help pay the bills.  She would give him a potato that admitted him to the movies on Saturday plus he received a nickel for an ice cream cone.  It was the highlight of his week.

 He worked at F.W. Woolworth Co. in South Omaha during his senior year at high school for credits to graduate, going to school in the morning and working in the afternoon.  He started as a stock boy (stocking storeroom shelves plus receiving freight).  In 1941 he was made an assistant manager.

He met his wife, Irene Riedmann, while working at F. W. Woolworth.  She was an assistant manager and window trimmer at the time. They became engaged before he left to serve during World War II. They were married July 10^th, 1943 in Harlingen, Texas.  Clem was in gunnery school at that time, and asked Irene to come down and visit during his first furlough. Irene did not know until she arrived that he had already talked to a priest to arrange the wedding . They called both their moms to tell them of their decision to marry. Clem's best friend Wayne Ross was the best man and Irene's sister Fran was the maid of honor. He had to be back on base the next night, so there was no honeymoon.

During World War II he enlisted in the Army Air Corps on November 3, 1941 .  He served three years.  He was a gunner, flight engineer and mechanic on the B-24 Bomber, also known as the "Flying Boxcar".  He belonged to the American Legion South Omaha Post #331 for 57 years.

After the war he went to work at Miller Pontiac in the parts department, then as manager for Marlin Associates, which later became United Electric Supply Corp.  United Electric is a retail and wholesale company that specializes in light fixtures and electrical supplies.  With the support of the owners, Clem built the company up from a small business originally at 46th and Dodge to today's operation, which has the largest showroom in the Midwest and the largest electrical supplier to the homebuilding industry in Omaha. Over time he invested in the company to become an equal shareholder with the other owners. He worked there 45 years, up until the time of his death.  

He enjoyed fishing and was a natural at golf.  He loved music, especially Frank Sinatra and big band great Glenn Miller.  When the family hears Frank Sinatra they automatically think of their dad.  He answered to the names of "Babe" as a youth, Van in business, Clem to his wife and dad to his children.

Clem and Irene were blessed with a large beautiful family. Their children are Dennis (Denny), Wayne, William (Bill), Susan (Sue) Sandra (Sandy) and Scott.  As of 2002, they had 18 grandchildren, 3 great-grandchildren, 3 step-grandchildren and 2 step great-grandchildren. 

Clem passed away on March 18^th, 2001.  He was buried in Calvary Mausoleum after a Mass at St. John Vianney Church in Omaha.

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In Memory of Frances Ann Riedmann and Robert Garvin
1923-2005 / 1916-2005

Frances was the fourth child of Alfred and Frances. She was born May 26, 1923 in Omaha Nebraska. She was the second child born in their longtime home at 504 Martha. As a child she attended St. Patrick's grade school and South High School.

Frannie, as she was called by her family, enjoyed roller skating as she grew up. While in high school she worked at F. W. Woolworth in South Omaha, starting at the candy counter and eventually moving up to the make-up counter. Looking back it is little wonder that she would succeed in any endeavor which involved working with people. Fran was always an outgoing person who could quickly charm the socks off all whom she met, drawing them to her because of her open heart and pleasing personality. Fran would next work at the downtown Borsheim's until she and Liz Danford went into business together in a Handy Dandy Grocery store around 43rd and Leavenworth. This was in the 1940's when businesses could only be open 6 days a week. Many stores closed on Sundays, except Fran and Liz's store. They decided to close Saturday and stay open on Sunday. This shrewd little move allowed to them to become successful as that is when they made most of the their profits.

Fran met Chet Quistad, married and had two children, Dan and David. After several years she met Bob Garvin and dated him for some time with no one aware of it. She filed for divorce from Chet around their 11th anniversary. Her father was quite upset about it as divorce was very rare back then and even more so if you were Catholic. After an argument with her father she got back together with Chet for one week, then moved out of town without telling anyone. She moved to California with Bob and the boys for reasons unknown. They settled down in the Los Angeles area. Her mind was set. She loved Bob and this is where she was going to stay. Her family was crushed by what had happened. It was almost 16 years before they came back to Omaha.

Fran was very independent and very focused in her thinking . She knew what she wanted, or wanted to do, and got it done. This may explain a little of her actions in her move away from Omaha and her successful business acumen she later developed.

She and Bob worked many years for Camping World as ambassadors. At that time Camping World was a small company in southern California specializing in the sales of RVs. With the help of Fran and Bob the company grew to a coast to coast business selling RVs and camping supplies. They traveled the country and visited any campground or camping facility they crossed to leave information about Camping World and the products they sold. They would visit with people who camped to tell them about the company and build goodwill for the company. This proved very successful for the everyone.

Bob loved fishing, sometimes going to great lengths to provide the opportunity for getting out. He even bought a boat, under the guise of becoming a sailor of sorts, in order to get the whole family out on the water. But they knew better. Unfortunately the launching of the boat was not the pleasant experience he desired. Both times in fact. But that is a story for his sons to pass on.

Dan and David said Fran loved McDonalds, a lot. There was a restaurant near her and she went there everyday and had a chicken sandwich. They also laugh about how scary it was to ride with her in the car. Seatbelts were mandatory when she was driving long before the federal government became concerned about safety. She didn't have to say a word, everyone knew if they wanted to survive the drive they had better buckle up!

Fran passed away October 16, 2005. On November 5, 2005, after a mass at St. John Vianney, she was buried next to her husband Bob at the Calvary Mausoleum in Omaha. She died two weeks short of a year after her husband. Looking back it can easily be said that they were made for each other. They lived happily together and apparently couldn't bear being apart for too long. Now they are together again.

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In Memory of Mary Pat Riedmann Greene
1955-2009

Mary Pat was born October 25, 1955, She was the 3rd of 5 girls. She attended Mercy High School and the College of St. Mary. She received a degree in early childhood education. Mary Pat was the loving mother of 3 children, Tricia, Daniel and David. When not raising her kids she was a long time employee of Blue Cross and Blue Shield.

Mary Pat was the "quiet one" until she got to know you. Even then, she was a woman of few words. Every now and then a comment would coming zinging out and you'd think "where'd that come from!" She led the family in the locomotion at every wedding reception. That was the fun, outgoing side of Mary Pat. Usually, she didn't like to be the center of attention. She was also a great confidante. She never revealed what you told her and that was true all of her life. She was always dad's favorite; the one who got to paint with him, who worked the longest at the bottling plant with him, the one who helped him at the rental property. Her nickname was "Mary Pet" to her sisters.

She was a great mom. Always there to help the kids up when they fell (or failed), but strong enough to let them take the fall in the first instance, so they could learn consequences. She had a great relationship with her kids, always ready to listen but slow to criticize.

She was diagnosed with breast cancer in August of 2007 and treated until mid-2008. She was a very faith-filled person; and strong. Sitting in her hospital room after her lung biopsy (which later came back normal) she was asked if she had hit the point of asking "why me?" Her response was "Not really. Why not me? A lot of women have breast cancer." She took her disease without complaining. All the signs were that she had it beat but then was told it had metastasized to her liver in February of 2009. She passed away September 19, 2009. Her obituary can be read by clicking here. She is buried at Calvary Cemetery in Omaha. May she rest in peace.

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In Memory of Sharon (Whitson) Riedmann
1947-2012

Sharon Mae Whitson was born the second of three sisters on December 8, 1947 in St Paul, Minnesota to Allan and Phyllis Whitson. Her sister's names were Kathy and Sandy. The family moved to Sioux Falls, South Dakota in 1948 because her dad was given a new sales territory for the company he worked for. She attended Washington Senior High School and worked at Bell Air drug store during high school. She had 65 Mustang that her and Sandy loved to drive around town. Sharon had the bad habit of peeling out, or drag racing, whenever she went out. It didn't take long and she ruined the tires and had to buy new ones. She never told her dad what they were doing and he wondered why there was an extra pair of tires. He eventually figured it out. After high school she went to the Stewart School of Hairstyling in Sioux Falls and graduated in 1970. She moved to Omaha in 1971 and worked for a Stewarts shop until she opened her own shop.

She met Lou Riedmann during Thanksgiving of 1972 while they were on separate vacations in Acapulco. Though both had different dates for the trip they were attracted to each other when they met. When they returned to Omaha it took Lou six months to get her phone number. He had to get it from the guy she was dating (he had stopped dating her but didn't want him to have it). Then he was afraid to call her for fear she would say no. He called a mutual friend, Jane Ford, and asked her the next time she saw Sharon to ask if she would be interested in dating him. Sharon said yes but the first date was a complete disaster. He brought her down to the cabin at Hansen's Lakes for the evening with other couples. A big fight erupted amongst the other couples and it ruined the night. Sharon ended up walking out and she wanted nothing to do with him and wanted to go home. He called her a week later and asked her out to dinner in the Old Market at the French Cafe. She accepted and they had a pleasant evening. Unfortunately she was still dating someone else and he had to out wait him. Eventually Lou told her that he wasn't going to wait forever. It turned out the other guy was gay, the relationship ended and Lou was in. She married Lou on August 21, 1976 in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. They had a large reception shortly afterwards in Omaha on the fifth floor patio of the Woodmen of the World Tower.

Sharon opened her own shop on Capehart Rd. in Bellevue on July 6, 1984 and it named the Hair Hut. She opened a second shop 3-4 years later called SR & Co. on Harvell Dr in Bellevue. Although she had built a loyal customer following she eventually closed both shops because the strain of running both and doing hair at the same time took its toll. Next she sold phones but that didn't appeal to her. Diamonds however did. Her sister-in-law Shirley Riedmann helped her get started at Borsheims Fine Jewelry in 1991. While there she took a Gemology class and passed the test to become a certified gemologist in 1997. She eventually became one of their top sellers because of the excellent connections she and Lou had throughout Omaha. With her natural knack for making people feel comfortable she developed a clientele that stretched around the world.

Sharon loved her family and friends. She always told Sandy she was adopted just to torment her like only a big sister can. Some say Sharon was a demanding person, but she would tell you she was "uniquely demanding". She loved her bling and her two dogs Sasha and Lucy. She loved anything with monkeys and gardening. She didn't like to be alone. She was very outgoing and accepting of people as they were and very giving. She was willing to try anything and get you to try it too. Her family and friends were treated with love and kindness and she pursued all her desires with a passion for success. She enjoyed a full life with a loving husband, a beautiful family, exciting travel, loving dogs and a garden like no other.

Sharon discovered she had cancer on May 13, 2010. In her fight with cancer she proved she was a trooper and could fight any battle. She wrote up a bucket list of the things she wanted to do before she died and worked hard at achieving them. She traveled to Paris, California wine country, Eddies Island in Canada, the Atlantis Hotel in the Bahamas, and traveled around the country to see her friends and family in Dallas and Washington DC. God came and swept her soul to heaven with a mighty gust of wind on Good Friday, April 6, 2012. Two fine eulogies were given for her at her funeral. They provide an excellent look at her life, her career and her uniqueness. to read Lisa Lackovic's eulogy click here and to read Susan Jacques's click here. Her obituary was listed in several papers and can be found by clicking here.

Her final resting place is at the Resurrection Cemetery outdoor Mausoleum facing the fountain in Omaha. May God's eternal light always shine upon her.

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