Paul N. Steffen Sr.
March 24, 1925 - May 31, 2014
Paul N. Steffen Sr., age 89, of Fremont,
died late Saturday (May 31, 2014)
in the A.J. Merrick Manor, Fremont.
Paul was born March 24, 1925 to Paul L. and Etta (Taylor) Steffen in Iowa City, Iowa. He lived his early childhood in Wiota, Iowa, and at age 13 came to live with his foster brother in Fremont. After completing the 11th grade in Fremont, he joined the United States Navy in April of 1942 at the age of 17.
Following boot camp in San Diego, Calif., he was stationed at Mare Island, Calif. Navy Hospital as a Navy corpsman. Then he was transferred to Pearl Harbor Old Navy Hospital for a brief time, then to Midway Island for 10 months, then back to the New Navy Hospital in Pearl Harbor Hawaii. He served aboard the USS Hammondsport (airplane transport ship) which supplied planes, tanks, and small navy boats to many of the islands, including Marshall Island, Tarawa, Gilbert Islands, Bougainville Island, Solomon Islands, Fiji Island, Samoa Island, Guadalcanal, New Caldonia and New Guinea. He was honorably discharged from the Norman Naval Hospital in September of 1945 and returned to Fremont. He was the first returning veteran to return to the Fremont High School where he graduated in 1946. Paul was a member of VFW Post 854 of Fremont.
Paul worked for Hormel's for 18 years then went into the insurance business for 18 years, retiring in 1981. He and his wife spent 12 years traveling with an RV trailer, settling in Lake Havasu, Arizona for 5 years, then returning to Fremont and the past 5 years they lived in Shalimar Gardens. He and his wife, the former OnoLee Gates, were married on January 30, 1946 in Marysville, Kansas. OnoLee died 3 months ago, on February 22nd.
Survivors: daughter Elaine and husband Steve Botos of Bennington
son Paul N. Steffen Jr. and wife Pamela of San Diego, California
4 grandchildren and 2 step-grandchildren
7 great grandchildren
1 great, great grandchild
2 brothers-in-law Jerry Fritz and wife Kathleen of Andover, Ohio
Donald Fritz and wife Sheila of Cameno Island, Washington
2 sisters-in-law Doris Wiseman of Benson, Arizona
Juanita Gates of Fremont
There will be a Memorial Service at the Ludvigsen Mortuary Chapel at 11 AM Thursday (June 5, 21014) with the Rev. Ron Battiato. The committal will be in Memorial Cemetery with Military Honors by the Fremont Honor Guard of American Legion Post 20 and VFW Post 854. The family will direct memorials.
online guestbook @ www.ludvigsenmortuary.com
Obituary Provided By:
1249 E. 23rd St.
Fremont, NE 68025
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