Gerald Oswald

Gerald S. Oswald, age 72, of Aurora, died Saturday, March 24, 2001, at Hamilton Manor.

Funeral services will be held at 10:30 A.M., Wednesday at the United Methodist Church of Aurora. Dr. Joe Scahill will officiate. Interment will be in the Aurora Cemetery. Visitation will be from 3 to 8 P.M., Tuesday at Higby Mortuary in Aurora. Condolences may be e-mailed to the family through the mortuary website at higbymortuary.com.

OBITUARY: GERALD OSWALD

Gerald S. Oswald, descendant of four pioneer Hamilton County families-Smith, Oswald, Springer and Toof---was born 7 miles southwest of Aurora, to Raymond and Alice (Smith) Oswald on May 4, 1928 and died in Aurora, Nebraska on March 24, 2001, at the age of 72 years.

As a young man, he was baptized into the Mennonite Church. Fifty-seven years were spent in education. Elementary education was at Hamilton County and at Denair, California. High School was at Turlock, California, and completed at Aurora from 1942-1945. With the help of a scholarship, he attended Kearney State Teacher's College from 1945-1948. Graduate work was done in 1953, 1958, and 1963 at Kearney. He attended a special summer institute in 1968 at Hastings College.

His teaching career started at Chase County High School from 1948-1950. Fifteen years were spent at Mason City High School from 1952-1967. He completed his career at Loup City (1967-1989) and retired to Aurora.

His 40 year career (as well as 4 years as principal) included teaching English, social studies, trigonometry, chemistry, and speech; coaching girls' volleyball for 20 years, brought 400 wins and a state runner-up. He coached boys' basketball for 6 years with Mason City's only second conference championship. He often commented that speech, drama, and coaching were very rewarding. Twenty-two years brought hundreds of trophies, three state runners-up and one state championship.

Some personal honors include: Sherman County Teacher of the Year twice, Nebraska Speech Teacher of the Year, and Midwest District Speech Teacher of the year in 1989. He was Nebraska's nominee for national speech coach of 1989. He was twice nominated for Nebraska Sower Award in Humanities.

He was Central Nebraska Forensics Director of the year, elected delegate to Nebraska Activities Association for 10 years, and District IV Representative in speech for 15 years. He was chosen for ten evaluation teams for Nebraska high schools.

He spent over 45 years collecting and researching antiques. His articles helped give him a national reputation in Early American Pattern Glass.

Retirement gave him time to give programs on pattern glass and Native American artifacts.

He was the first life master of the American Contract Bridge League in Out State Nebraska. He played in nine states, wrote a bridge column for The Custer County Chief, and directed bridge clubs in Grand Island. He won over 25 trophies at Nebraska tournaments.

During retirement he judged 30 to 60 high-school one-act plays a year and dozens of speech meets. He was chosen to judge STATE competition, worked on forensics committees, and was a volunteer consultant and presenter at conventions. His work with Nebraska high school theatre spanned 57 years.

His other interests included birds, gardens, habitat, genealogy and American Ethnology.

He endowed two scholarships at University of Nebraska at Kearney for speech and drama students and was a member of the University of Nebraska Chancellor's Club. The Nebraska Speech Association named its award for Outstanding Service after Oswald.

He is preceded in death by his parents, his brother Ralph and his sister, Lucille Ulmer.

Gerald is survived by his brother-in-law, Vance Ulmer of Aurora and many nieces and nephews.