William R. Lewis (Bill)

William Randall Lewis was born on December 28, 1943 to Phyllis and Lyle Lewis of Larchwood, Iowa. He grew up on a farm in Larchwood, where he attended school. Following his high school graduation, he furthered his education by earning his Bachelor of Arts Degree in Elementary Education and a Master’s Degree in School Administration. In 1967 he was united in marriage to Jane Cizaldo and from this union, two sons were born, Christopher Dominic and Stanley Jason.

His career took him to many schools throughout South Dakota and Nebraska. After teaching in the elementary classroom, Bill began his long tenure in education administration. These roles included guidance counselor, principal, superintendent of schools, and at times, bus driver! In 1996 he married Charlotte Hermelbracht. In 2002 Bill retired and they moved to Gretna to be near their children and grandchildren.

Always one to keep busy, Bill filled his days with part-time work and volunteering. For 20 years, he delighted many children with driving the Barnyard Adventure at Vala’s Pumpkin Patch, and enthusiastically greeted visitors at Mahoney State Park’s admission kiosk. Bill’s passion, though, was helping those in need by giving his time and resources to many worthy causes. To name a few, he spent countless hours working at the Gretna Food Pantry, where he served on the Board of Directors. He volunteered many years on the Gretna Days annual festival committee, and was honored with the Gretna Chamber “Citizen of the Year” award in 2013. Bill could be seen during Christmas seasons donning a red Santa hat and delivering toys and gifts to those needing a bit more joy. The lives of many families also benefited through Bill’s service on several outreach and mission-driven committees at the Gretna United Methodist Church.

He was preceded in death by his parents; his brothers John Lewis, Raymond Lewis and Tom Lewis; and Grandson Kyle Madden. He is survived by his wife Charlotte, his sons Chris (Jill) and Stanley, his step-sons Steve Hermelbracht and James Hermelbracht; brothers Ron Lewis, Jerry (Linda) Lewis, Jim Lewis and Roger Lewis; sisters Mary Kiley (Craig Peterson) and Sandy (Denny) Millar, sister-in-law Arloa Lewis, eight grandchildren; eight great-grandchildren; many nephews, nieces, family and friends.

Visitation 5 -7 PM Friday at Gretna Mortuary 

Funeral Service 11:00 Saturday (2/8/25) at Gretna United Methodist Church 11457 S 204th St. Gretna. Graveside Service Saturday 2:00 PM Ft. Calhoun Cemetery Ft. Calhoun, NE. Memorials to Gretna United Methodist Church or Gretna Food Pantry. 

Roeder Mortuary, Inc. - Gretna Chapel 11710 Standing Stone - Gretna, NE - 402-332-0090 www.RoederMortuary.com