Craig Lee Gissler

Gissler, Craig Lee Age 64 Following a long battle with Lewy Body Dementia, Craig passed in Gretna on December 1, 2020.  He joins his parents, and brothers Doug and Dean in Heaven. Craig was born to Rolland and Sarah Gissler  on January 9, 1956 in Douglas, Wyoming.  He grew up in Osceola and Central City, Nebraska, graduating high school in 1974. Craig earned a BS degree in Mathematics from Kearney State College in 1978, where he was a member of Beta Sigma Psi Lutheran Fraternity, and later attended graduate school for Computer Science at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. After college, Craig joined Up With People, a multicultural non-profit music group where he was able to perform, do good works, and make many lifelong friends.  Craig loved UWP so much, he immediately signed up for a second year, and later returned to serve as a traveling business manager.  UWP took Craig to many states and countries. Craig worked for a few small software companies in Lincoln, before working as a senior systems analyst for CenturyLink in Omaha. Craig also enjoyed a seasonal job at Vala’s Pumpkin Patch. Craig was an Eagle Scout, and after being a dad, scouting was his passion.  All 5 of his children enjoyed scouts, and Craig was a huge scout volunteer. He served as Cubmaster to Pack 363 for several years, and was an Assistant Scoutmaster with Troop 363 before finding his Scout home with Troop 405.  He served as staff for the 2010 National Jamboree in Virginia, was Woodbadge trained, and served on the Mid America Council training staff for Soaring Eagle District. Craig enjoyed scout camps with his sons in NE, IA, WI, CO, SD, canoeing the Boundary Waters in MN, and hiking at the National Scout Ranch in Philmont, NM. He also assisted with outdoor training for his daughters’ Girl Scout troops. Craig was a fabulous cook, known for his variety of cheesecakes and campfire desserts, loved board games, astronomy, music, books, anything Lord of the Rings, and family camping trips. He was in high school marching band, and was a proud parent of 5 Band nerds. He was also a huge lover of animals, especially cats. Craig met Monica Charon while both played with the Lincoln Cribbage League, and were married at All Saints Lutheran Church in Lincoln on October 2, 1993.  They moved to Gretna in 2000, joined Resurrection Evangelical Lutheran Church, and raised their 5 children: Simon , Griffin, Aurora, Margot, and Dakota. Craig is also survived by Monica’s parents Jim and Louise Wheeldon, also of Gretna, and many cousins and friends. During 1996-97, Craig and Monica hosted Cecilia Collin Moller from Paarp, Sweden, and continued to claim her and her family as their own. Due to COVID, the family has chosen a closed service at Resurrection Evangelical Lutheran Church in Gretna at 2:00 PM on December 13, 2020. The service will be live streamed, followed at 3:00 PM by a Zoom meeting. Craig was cremated by Roeder Mortuaries in Gretna. Memorials to family at this time, in lieu of flowers. Livestream at 2:00 PM, December 13, 2020: https://www.facebook.com/RELCgretna/ Join Zoom Meeting at 3:00, December 13, 2020 https://us02web.zoom.us/j/5464703478?pwd=WHBoR1kxbUVEeUxEN2l0dURqTUZGdz09 Meeting ID: 546 470 3478 Passcode: 1517 Added this