Gerald "Jerry"

Schmaderer

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Gerald "Jerry" Schmaderer, 88, of O'Neill, died Friday, Sept. 13, 2024 at Arbor Care retirement home in O'Neill.

Visitation will be held from 5-7 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 19, 2024 at Biglin's Mortuary in O'Neill with a 7 p.m. parish rosary.

Funeral services will be held at 10:30 a.m. Friday, Sept. 20, 2024 at St. Patrick's Catholic Church in O'Neill.

Burial will be in the O'Neill Cemetery in O'Neill with military rites provided by the O'Neill American Legion Post 93.

Memorials may be made to O'Neill St. Mary's Catholic School or St. Patrick's Catholic Church in Jerry's name.

Jerry was born at home in 1936 to Alois and Frances (Feilmeier) Schmaderer in Stuart. Jerry was the eldest of seven children and grew up working on the family's farm and attending high school in Stuart where he played his favorite sport of football. 

After graduating in 1954, Jerry worked for an electric utility construction company in West Point before enlisting in the United States Army in 1956. While in the military, Jerry was stationed in Germany and Turkey where he was trained as a utility lineman and had the opportunity to travel to many other countries across Europe.  

Upon honorable discharge from the military in 1958, Jerry worked for the Niobrara Valley Rural Electric Association (“REA”) in O'Neill during the early days of building-out the power grid throughout rural Nebraska. 

In October 1961, he married the love of his life and wife of 62 years Helen (Hynes) Schmaderer, a young nurse from O'Neill whom he met on a blind date on a cold blustery January day over college break.

Jerry was a man of many interests. He was a man of faith, a creative builder and had an unmatched work ethic he brought to whatever was the project of the day. But most of all, he was a loving husband and a proud father who wanted to provide opportunities and experiences for his children, grandchildren and others. 

Jerry was active in the Knights of Columbus as both a member and an officer and enjoyed attending his children's many sporting events.   

Over the years, Jerry loved the challenge of designing and working on a variety of different personal projects. These included building equipment, fences and buildings for his farm, raising livestock, the construction of a suspension footbridge over the Eagle Creek and the restoration of a historic family farmhouse along the banks of Eagle Creek north of O'Neill. When his children were young, he purchased an old, dilapidated boat and fully rebuilt it so his kids could learn to water-ski, providing many special days camping and boating with his family.

Upon retiring from the REA in 1994, after 36 years, Jerry continued to enjoy many different activities including traveling with his wife Helen both domestically and overseas, morning coffee with his church group and spending time on his farm and ranch. He also enjoyed many fun-filled days attending local farms sales and auctions in constant pursuit of a “great bargain,” visiting surrounding communities to see “what was new” which always included a stop at the local cafe for lunch and random conversations with all of the interesting people he met along the way. 

Jerry is survived by his wife Helen Schmaderer; his six children and spouses Wayne Schmaderer of Colorado Springs, CO, Eunice Schmaderer (daughter-in-law) of Omaha, Doug (Kathy) Schmaderer of Covina, CA, Michele (Kevin) Spainhour of Huntington Beach, CA, Chuck (Lori) Schmaderer, Greg (Ranae) Schmaderer and Jeff (Jenny) Schmaderer, all of Omaha; five sisters/brothers/-in-law LaVonne Kulus (Schmaderer), Maurice Schmaderer, Karen (Bob) Baker, Rich (Emmy) Schmaderer and Doris Young (Schmaderer); 15 grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by his parents Alois and Frances Schmaderer, his sister Marlene Sargent (Schmaderer) and two grandchildren DJ Holguin and Emerson Schmaderer.             

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