Elmer E. Carlson

Elmer E. Carlson, 92, of Wayne, NE, formerly of Allen, NE, died on Friday, August 24, 2018 at Brookdale Living in Wayne, NE. Funeral services will be held on Tuesday, August 28, 2018 at 10:30 a.m. at the Evangelical Covenant Church in Wakefield. The visitation will be held on Monday, August 27, 2018 from 5:00 until 7:00 p.m. at the Bressler – Munderloh – Smith Funeral Home in Wakefield, with a prayer service at 6:30 p.m. Burial with military honors will be in the Wakefield Cemetery.Elmer Carlson believed the Lord was his salvation and was welcomed into heaven on August 24, 2018. He raised his family in the knowledge of the Lord. We were blessed to have him in our lives for 92 years.Elmer Eugene Carlson was born May 15, 1926, in Lincoln, graduated from Lincoln High School in 1944, served in the Navy 1944-1946, and graduated from the University of Nebraska in 1951. In October of that year he married Corrine Lundin of Wakefield. He worked as a fishery biologist for the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission until 1957, then farmed near Allen until 1997. He lived at Brookdale in Wayne, 2014-18. During childhood Elmer’s family moved around the Lincoln area as his Swedish immigrant father sought work during the depression. In 1931, at age five, the family moved to his grandmother’s farm near Malmo. Then came a drought and dust bowl and they moved back to Lincoln. At age 18 he enlisted and served on a destroyer escort in the Pacific, heading toward the apparent eminent invasion of Japan. The early hard times shaped him with profound gratitude of God’s blessings throughout his life. Elmer loved the land, nature, and his adopted farm community. His joys were listening to birds sing, planting a tree seedling to watch it grow, and sunsets. He had a fondness for animals and adopted stray dogs. He delighted in sharing jokes, poems, or singing and playing a harmonica with friends. His sense of humor kept Corrine from being too serious.He delighted in visits to the farm by grandchildren, relatives, neighbors, and adopted neighbor kids. He taught many kids to drive a rickety pickup in the bumpy pasture. Others he taught to fish. Elmer was very proud of his kids and grandkids. He taught his children and grandchildren to be grateful for all blessings, to appreciate everyday miracles, and when hard times come “this too shall pass.”Elmer served in the Wakefield Covenant Church, the Wakefield school board, the PTA, Wakefield Tree Board, the local Farmers Union Co-op. He sang in church and community choirs and participated in the Little Red Hen Theater.Elmer is survived by his spouse Corrine of Wayne, NE, son David of Lakewood, CO, daughters ,Vicki (Dennis) Scheer of Lincoln, NE, Nanci (Kent) Malm of Central City, NE and Heidi (Greg) Howard of Pioneer, CA, 7 grandchildren, 4 great-grandchildren, sister Doris (John), niece Joan, nephew Jack Wollenberg of St. Paul, Minnesota.