Wilmadeen J. Cramer

Wilmadeen J. Cramer

September 26, 1932 – August 18, 2023

 VISITATION: Tuesday, August 22^nd from 10am to 11am at Bartlett Church of Faith in Bartlett, Neb., followed by CELEBRATION OF LIFE SERVICE at 11am.  Interment in Bartlett Cemetery next to the love of her life, Wyvern.  In lieu of flowers, memorials are suggested to the schools where Wilmadeen taught, c/o Wheeler County Community Foundation Fund, PO Box 36, Bartlett, NE 68022; or Nebraska Christian Schools, 1847 Inskip Ave., Central City, NE 68826. To view a live broadcast of the Service, please visit www.heafeyheafey.com and click the “View Live Cast” button at the top of the home page.

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Wilmadeen Joyce Yenne Kugler Cramer, 90, of Bartlett, Nebraska, was welcomed into heaven on August 18, 2023. She was greeted in eternal life by her husband and father of her children, the late Wyvern D Kugler, who preceded her in death. Wilmadeen is survived by her four children and their spouses, Peggy Remus (Jerry), Mickee Neely (Mike), Kevin John Kugler (Gwen), and Patricia Ratliff (Gregg), 13 grandchildren and many great and great-great grandchildren.

Wilmadeen was born on September 26, 1932, at her grandparents’ home in Smith County, Kansas during the dust storms of the 1930s. She was delivered by a doctor who made house calls by way of horse and buggy. Her family moved to Wheeler County, Nebraska, when she was 2 years old. Her childhood centered around school and working the hay fields with her family. Wilmadeen graduated from high school at age 16, the year of the Blizzard of 1949. The summer after her graduation she matriculated at Kearney State Teachers College (now the University of Nebraska – Kearney), where she eventually earned certificates, Bachelor’s, and Master’s degrees in Education.

Wilmadeen and Wyvern were married on December 23, 1950, in Smith Center, Kansas. Wyvern was drafted into the army and was stationed in Virginia in 1951. Wilmadeen followed him to Virginia and lived with another enlisted soldier’s wife, with whom she worked at a life insurance company. When Wyvern was deployed to Germany, Wilmadeen moved back to Kansas to teach until Wyvern returned from his time in the service.

Wilmadeen and Wyvern lived on and operated a ranch outside of Bartlett, Nebraska, where their four children were born. Wilmadeen taught in Wheeler Central Schools for 18 years, including time at Ericson Grade School. Wilmadeen and Wyvern were one of the founding families of Nebraska Christian Schools, where all four of their children attended high school. Wilmadeen later taught at Nebraska Christian Grade School for 10 years.

Wyvern was killed in a tractor accident in 1977. Following his death, Wilmadeen leased out the farm and ranch. She eventually remarried in 1984 and lived with her second husband, Henry Cramer, in Aurora, Nebraska until his death in 2016, at which point she moved to Omaha to be closer to her children and grandchildren.

Wilmadeen was an artist of traditional crafts of the European pioneers who settled the Great Plains in the 19th and early 20th Centuries, including china painting, calligraphy, quilting, knitting, tatting and other textile arts. She produced hundreds of pieces of painted china and scores of quilts and blankets throughout her life. In pursuit of sharing her crafts with others, Wilmadeen volunteered at museums dedicated to settlers and pioneers, giving demonstrations on wool spinning using traditional wheels and looms.

Wilmadeen was a beloved mother, grandmother, and great grandmother, a respected teacher, and a devout Christian. She supported her church and missionaries and devoted herself to learning all she could about her Lord Jesus. Her prayer was that all of her family and friends would know Jesus and eventually meet her in heaven.

VISITATION: Tuesday, August 22^nd from 10am to 11am at Bartlett United Methodist Church in Bartlett, Neb., followed by CELEBRATION OF LIFE SERVICE at 11am.  Interment in Bartlett Cemetery next to the love of her life, Wyvern.  In lieu of flowers, memorials are suggested to the schools where Wilmadeen taught, c/o Wheeler County Community Foundation Fund, PO Box 36, Bartlett, NE 68022; or Nebraska Christian Schools, 1847 Inskip Ave., Central City, NE 68826. To view a live broadcast of the Celebration of Life, please visit www.heafeyheafey.com and click the “View Live Cast” button at the top of the home page.