Kathe Erlewine

KATHE ERLEWINE, 92, of Ogallala, NE, passed away Thursday, June 10, 2021, at the Perkins County Hospital in Grant, NE.

Kathe was born in Haiti, to Rudolf and Lilli (Wachtmann) Ebers. Kathe's father, being fluent in multiple languages owned an importing business at the time. The family moved back to Germany in 1933.

As a young girl, Kathe grew up in northern Germany, which had become a warzone for WWII at the time. The family home in Hamburg was burned to the ground, and the family subsequently fled to the Ore mountains in eastern Germany. Kathe's father was eventually taken as a POW to an internment camp in Ogallala, Nebraska, and made location connections which brought their family to America. Kathe and her siblings would come to learn English from listening to music on the radio.

Kathe would eventually meet and marry Larry Erlewine from Grant. The nuptials took place on October 18, 1953, at the Congregational Church in Grant, Nebraska. Their union was blessed with three children, Terry, David, and Stephen. Kathe and Larry made their home on the family farm northeast of Grant. Kathe had worked as a registered nurse in the area for several years before life took the couple to the central valley of California in 1964. Kathe worked as a sales associate at Weinstock's and Macy's department stores. Kathe returned to Ogallala in the early 2000s following the death of her husband in 1999.

Kathe was a kindred spirit and loved music and dancing. She especially loved Polka and happy music. Kathe was gifted in the kitchen and loved to cook and bake whenever she got the chance. Her ginger snap cookies, rum cake, banana bread, and pie built their own renown. Kathe was generous, and often times her love language was baked goods.

Kathe also loved written correspondences. She was especially thoughtful when it came to writing thank you's, which was a task that she especially loved.

Kathe was one of a kind, with a deep appreciation for life, having experienced the privations of the war. She lived an interesting and long life and was always grateful for what she had and the love she shared with her husband and family.

Kathe was preceded in death by her husband, Larry, and two brothers, Erwin and Werner Ebers.

Survivors include her sons, David (Sherry) Erlewine of Ogallala, Terry (Toni) Erlewine of Sacramento, CA, Stephen Erlewine of Marysville, CA; grandchildren, Stacia (Shawn) Townes, Ada Erlewine, and Troy Erlewine; great-grandchildren, Alex, Aurora, and Makenna; siblings, Inge Stier of Roseburg, Germany, Rudolf Ebers of Gresham, OR, Heinz Peter Ebers of Portland, OR, and Lore Holscher of Ogallala; along with many other relatives and friends.

A memorial has been established in Kathe's memory for later designation. Condolences may be shared at prairiehillsfuneralhome.com, where the service will be streamed live.

Services will be on Tuesday, June 15, 2021, at 10:30 am at the Grant Congregational Church, with Denise Johnson officiating. Inurnment will be in the Grant Fairview Cemetery.

Prairie Hills Funeral Home of Ogallala is in charge of arrangements.