Robert Ernst

Robert Ernst, age 89, of Lincoln, formerly of Aurora, died Thursday, March 18, 2010, at Village Manor North.

Funeral Services will be held 10:30 A.M., Monday, March 22nd at the First Christian Church in Aurora. Pastor Sam Fox will officiate. Interment will be at the Aurora Cemetery. Visitation will be from 4 to 7 P.M. Sunday at Higby-McQuiston Mortuary. Condolences may be e-mailed to the family through the mortuary website at www.higbymortuary.com.

OBITUARY: ROBERT ERNST

Robert Ervin Ernst, the son of Ross and Minnie (Neptune) Ernst, was born in Aurora, Nebraska on January 26, 1921 and died in Lincoln, Nebraska on March 18, 2010, at the age of 89.

Bob graduated from Aurora High School with the Class of 1939. Bob served in the U.S. Army in the legendary 101st Airborne Division and served with the Division throughout World War II. Bob served in the European Theater of Operations October 18, 1943 the Division landed in Liverport, England. Sgt. Bob Ernst jumped into Normandy, France (D-Day) as a paratrooper, was wounded in the Operation and received his first Purple Heart. Bob went into Holland (Operation Market Garden) in a glider with the 907th Glider Field Artillery Battalion. After 72 days of combat in Holland the Division was pulled out. Sgt. Ernst’s next major operation was at Bastogne, Belgium (Battle of the Bulge). The division entered the battle in trucks and was quickly surrounded by the German’s. Bob was severely wounded on Christmas Eve 1944 in the defense of Bastogne. For the first time in U.S. military history, the Presidential Citation was presented to a unit of divisional size, honoring the heroic defense of the “Battered Bastards of Bastogne.”

Bob was honorably discharged on December 2, 1945. Sgt. Bob Ernst’s awards and citations include: two Bronze Stars and three Purple Hearts, along with various other distinguished service badges.

Bob attended many battalion and division reunions of the 101st “Screaming Eagles” both in country and returning to the sacred battlefields of Europe. Bob made 57 parachute jumps his last on June 25, 1994 at the Aurora Days at the age of 72.

Bob spent many hours after retirement in the public school systems across the state of Nebraska telling his wartime history and life stories and showing his historical artifacts of World War II. Bob’s oral history is recorded online in the World War II Archives Smithsonian Library of Congress Veteran’s History project in Washington, D.C.

Bob was a lifetime member of American Legion Post 42 and recently received recognition for his 60 years as a Legionnarie.

On February 16, 1947, he was united in marriage to Carol Lewis at the First Christian Church in Fairbury. Bob worked for Hamilton Telephone for over 48 years, retiring in 1988. After retiring he volunteered at the Hamilton County Court House and delivered flowers with Al Potter. Carol passed away on November 21, 1990. Bob moved to Lincoln in 2008 to be closer to family.

Bob was a member of the First Christian Church. He served on the Aurora City Council for two years in 1966. Bob was a 50 year member of the Chain Gang for the Aurora High School Football Team. He coached his children in Little League and American Legion Baseball. Bob loved sports. He was a longtime supporter and follower of the Aurora Huskies, the Nebraska Cornhuskers, Kearney Lopers and any team a grandchild was playing on. Bob was always willing to help anyone. If something was broken, Bob could fix it. Bob served as President of the Residents Council of Village Manor, where he most recently resided.

He was preceded in death by his parents, wife, two brothers, Keith and Ross; infant brother, Wendell; two sisters, Eloise Craft Tomka and Mary Casteel; son-in-law, Robert Fetch and two grandsons, Jason and Justin Ernst.

Those left to cherish his memory are his five children, Carla Fetch of Lincoln; Dan (Dixie) Ernst of Lincoln, Ronda (Tom) Kruger of Grand Island; Joe (Lori) Ernst of Madison, WI and Tim (Tami) Ernst of Lincoln; 10 grandchildren, Jared Ernst, Ashley (Mogien) Boyd, Alex Ernst, Heath Kruger, Cole Kruger, Tad Kruger, twins, Jolene and Jeremy Ernst, Cristy (Jon) Boschee and Lindsey (Craig) Kubicek and 4 great-grandchildren.