Elmer "Pete" Gilbert

Elmer Lyman Gilbert was born May 28, 1921 to Edgar and Mary (Aylor) Gilbert. He passed away on December 18, 2018 at his home in Pawnee City.

Pete, as he was known by everyone, was born on the home place north of Table Rock, and spent his early years there. He attended the Miller School District 49 for eight years and then went to high school in Table Rock, where he graduated in 1940.

Pete went to Frye Aircraft School in Omaha, and then went to Dayton, Ohio where he worked in a defense plant at Wright-Patterson Field in 1942.

Pete and Dorothy Fellers where married June 12, 1942 in Covington, Kentucky and lived near Dayton, Ohio for the first few months of their marriage. They came back to Nebraska and he enlisted in the Army Air Corps in November of 1942. He spent 3 years in the service during World War II.

In 1946 they started farming north of Table Rock. They farmed for a total of 22 years at Table Rock, NE, Seneca, Summerfield, and Oketo, KS. Pete was always a farmer at heart. He loved the land and the livestock. After a devastating hail storm in 1967, they gave up farming and moved to Beatrice, NE. He held numerous jobs there including driving the Gage County ambulance and working for the Police Department.

After 5 years in Beatrice they moved to Lyons, Colorado where they bought a home in the mountains. Pete was employed at the North Boulder Recreation Center for several years, and then went to work for Storage Technology where he did outside maintenance. He was injured there and had surgery on both shoulders which limited his ability to work after that. He then worked at several restaurants until he retired and moved back to Pawnee City after spending 22 years in Colorado. He enjoyed helping his son-in-law on the farm, and cleared the snow from many businesses and individuals in Pawnee City as long as his health permitted. He had a heart attack and stroke in 2004 and had to give up all the things he enjoyed doing.

Pete was baptized and became a member of the Methodist Church in Table Rock in 1952. He and Dot joined the Methodist Church in Pawnee City in 1997. He was also a member of the American Legion in Pawnee City. At one time he belonged to the Legion, Eagles, and Elks Lodge in Beatrice, and the Moose Lodge in Longmont, CO.

Pete loved being around people and was a stranger to no one. When he was able he went to “coffee” at the Senior Center in the morning and in the afternoon to the Little Brown Jug. He never got tired of visiting with people. He also loved animals and working outdoors. He was truly a farmer forever.

Pete was preceded in death by his parents, brother George and wife Irma, brother Kenneth and wives Darlene Clark, Lucille Hendrix Clark, and Ida Farwell Kanel, brother Dwain, and infant great granddaughter Elizabeth Gilbert.

Those left to mourn his passing are his beloved wife of 76 years, Dorothy, and children June and husband Lyle Hess of Pawnee City, Allen Gilbert of Lincoln, and Lynn and wife Sharon Gilbert of Lafayette, CO, 9 grandchildren, Vicki Hess, Lori Linenberger, Kay and husband Jeff Parks, Lisa and husband Harlan Beethe, Sandra and husband Rob Montgomery, Barbara and husband Layne Fallon, Nancy Gilbert and fiancé Tim Hauck, Keith and wife Melanie Gilbert, Richard Gilbert and special friend Amy Schultz, 10 great-grandchildren, Julie Lockhorn and husband Eric, Stephanie Seacrest and fiancé Lenny Fleek, Sumner Gilbert, Tristin Gilbert, Trinity Gilbert, Alex Linenberger, Kyle Fenway Parks, Bryan Montgomery, Brent Beethe, Haley Beethe, and 3 great-great grandsons, Hunter Miller, A.J. Seacrest, and John Lockhorn, sister Dorothy Penkava of Table Rock and sister-in-law Delores Gilbert of Table Rock, nieces, nephews, great nieces, great nephews, and a host of friends.  

Funeral Services will be held at 1:00 p.m. Saturday, December 22, 2018 at the United Methodist Church in Pawnee City, Nebraska with Rev. Sherry Sklenar officiating.  

Visitation will be from 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Friday, with family greeting friends from 5-7 p.m. at the Wherry Mortuary in Pawnee City, Nebraska.

Interment will be at 3:30 p.m. in the Table Rock Cemetery, Table Rock, Nebraska with full military honors.

Memorials may go to the family's choice. 

Online condolences may be left @ www.wherrymortuary.com.

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