Earl was born on April 1, 1939, in Swanton, NE. The family moved to a farm east of Swanton and lived there until he had finished the 7th grade. In 1951 Earl’s family moved to Wilber, NE, and he finished school there, graduating in 1956. After high school, Earl joined the Navy in February of 1957. He served three years in active duty and three additional years in the Naval Reserve. Upon discharge from active duty, he moved to Lincoln, NE and lived with his oldest brother’s family.
While living with his brother, Earl met and fell in love with Donna Herold. They got married on January 14, 1961. At that time Earl was running a gas station. Earl and Donna had their first son, Robert in 1961, and the family moved twice over the next three years. In April 1963 the couple purchased their first and only home in Lincoln and a second son, David, was born in the fall of that year. Earl then stopped working at the gas station and started doing sheet metal work. Lisa, their third child, was born in 1967, on her mother’s birthday. From these three children, Earl and Donna have fifteen grandchildren and thirteen great-grandchildren.
In October 2003, Earl retired from sheet metal work. He kept busy working on projects around the house, helping out friends and neighbors, picking up and distributing food with Food Net, and participating in church activities. In the 1970’s, Earl began attending the Lincoln Business and Professional Couples’ Club, which led him to enter into a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Earl was a shining example of Christ’s love and service to others, beginning each morning with his Savior, and sharing his love for Christ with his family and all of those with whom he came into contact.
