Colette Rose (Huewe) Kramer

Colette Rose (Huewe) Kramer

October 11, 1929 – October 27, 2023

Colette Rose (Huewe) Kramer was born in Remsen, Iowa to Otmar Hubert Huewe and Leonora (Wagner) Huewe on October 11, 1929.  After graduating from St. Mary’s High School in Remsen and briefly attending Briar Cliff College in Sioux City, Iowa, she moved to Omaha, Nebraska and took a job at Mutual of Omaha.

Colette eventually returned to college and earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Creighton University in January, 1958.  While singing in the St. John’s church choir on the Creighton campus, she met Louis Kramer of Stuart, Nebraska.  Louis and Colette married at St. Cecilia’s Cathedral on June 7, 1958.  A year later, they moved to St. Joan of Arc parish in the Westgate neighborhood where they raised their four children, Julie, Lenore, Karen, and Chuck.  Colette was devoted to her family and was deeply proud of them.  She was blessed with eleven grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

Music was always an important part of Colette’s life and she sang alto for many years in most of the major choral groups in the Omaha area, including the Omaha Symphonic Chorus and the Nebraska Choral Arts Society, as well as the St. Joan of Arc choir.

In her later years, Colette devoted herself to volunteer work, serving as a docent for over 25 years at the Henry Doorly Zoo as well as volunteering at Bergan Mercy Hospital in various capacities.  Her entire life, Colette was known for her sharp wit, sense of humor, and puns too numerous to mention here.

Colette passed away on October 27, 2023, just over two weeks after 94th birthday.  Colette was preceded in death by her husband, Louis Kramer; sister, Maxine (Huewe) Newman of Scottsdale, Arizona; brother, Louis Huewe, of Remsen, Iowa.

Colette is survived by her children: Julie Mercer of Beaver Dam Kentucky, Lenore (John) Riganti of St. Louis, Missouri, Karen Kramer of Jefferson City, Missouri, and Chuck (Margaret) Kramer of Omaha, Nebraska; eleven grandchildren: Curtis, Carl, and Thomas (Mikaela) Riganti, Natalie, Jenny, and Joe Mercer; and Molly, Jill, Trent, Lucy, and Ellen Kramer;  two great-grandchildren, Peter and Nora Riganti; sister, Grace O’Hare of Ankeny, Iowa; numerous nieces and nephews.

Colette’s family would like to thank the staff of Brookestone Village for the care they gave Colette over the last six months.

The family will receive friends on Saturday, November 4, from 10:00 to 11:00 AM at Mary Our Queen Catholic Church

Mass of Christian Burial:  Saturday, November 4th, 11:00 a.m. at Mary Our Queen Catholic Church.

Interment: Calvary Cemetery

Memorials may be directed to the Henry Doorly Zoo.