Walter Wendt

Walter Rodney Wendt, 68, of Aurora, was called to his eternal home in Heaven on Saturday, Sept. 26, 2020 while visiting loved-ones in Colorado.  
Funeral Services will be held at 10:30 a.m. Friday, Oct. 2 at the First Evangelical Lutheran Church, 1304 North Hwy 14, Aurora. Rev. Thomas Schneider and Rev. Wayne Oblender will officiate. Interment will be at the Aurora Cemetery. Visitation will be from 4-7 P.M. on Thursday at the church. Current CDC guidelines will be followed.  Face masks are recommended at the church.  The service will be livestreamed at https://zoom.us/j/266648450.  In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the 1st Evangelical Lutheran Church or Nebraska Lutheran High School, 203 Kendall St, Waco, NE  68460.  Higby-McQuiston Mortuary is in charge of arrangements.  Condolences may be e-mailed to the family through the mortuary website at www.higbymortuary.com.
Walter Rodney Wendt, 68, of Aurora, was called to his eternal home in Heaven on Saturday, Sept. 26, 2020 while visiting loved-ones in Colorado.  
Walt was a much-beloved husband, father, grandfather, uncle, brother, and a faithful member at First Evangelical Lutheran Church in Aurora.  An avid Packer and Husker fan, Walt loved to camp, hunt, fish, garden, grill, go antiquing, and took special care of his backyard orchard. He also enjoyed trap shooting at Crooked Creek Gun Club.  He loved spending time outdoors, especially in his native Northern Wisconsin, and even worked as a logger in his youth.  Walt was a talented carpenter by trade and helped family, friends, and neighbors with many projects and remodels.  His vast knowledge of trees, wood, birds, carpentry, and drafting will be sorely missed.  
Walter was born on Nov. 26, 1951, to Ervin and Hilda (Malueg) Wendt in Rhinelander, WI.  He was the youngest of 3 sons. Walt joined God’s family through baptism on Christmas Day in 1951 and was confirmed in his faith at St. John’s Lutheran Church in Pelican Lake, WI in 1965.  Walt met his wife of 47 years in Spokane, WA in 1971.  JoAnn was a parochial school teacher there and the two met in church.  They were married in Aurora on a snowy December 29th in 1973.  They had their son in 1974 while living in Spokane, then moved to Nebraska where they were blessed with their three daughters.   To support his growing family, Walt worked at Century Manufacturing in Aurora for over 20 years, then at the Leadership Center in Aurora.  After a few years there, Walt finally got to be his own boss when he started Walter’s Woodworking.  His cabinetry, remodeling, window and door installation, and all around vast knowledge of construction allowed him to help countless clients, friends and family.  It also helped greatly when, in 1994, he started construction on their own home on Woodland Road, which was completed in 1995.  He took great pride in a job well done.
One of Walt’s greatest joys, which he mentioned often, was knowing that his large family of children and grandchildren shared his faith in Jesus.  Being active in his church and in work for The Lord meant a great deal to him.
Those left to cherish his memory include his wife, JoAnn (Nunnenkamp) Wendt of Aurora, son Travis and Kelly Wendt of Menomonee Falls, WI, daughter Tanya and Brandon Grosshans of Aurora, daughter Tina and Jeff Schmidt of Lincoln, and daughter Tiffany and Nathaniel Winkel of Eagle, CO; grandchildren Adeline, Bowen, Sophia and Evelyn Wendt, Abbigale, Levi, Luke and Eli Grosshans, Genevieve, Ruby and Margaret Schmidt, and Micah, Lydia, Isaiah and Joshua Winkel.  He is also survived by his two brothers, Hillas Wendt and Rick Wendt of WI.  
Those who went to Heaven before him include his parents Ervin and Hilda, parents- in-law Eugene and Justina Nunnenkamp of Aurora, and sister-in-law Shirley Wendt of WI.  
“Be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life.” Rev. 2:10.