Obituary index

Robert Graue

[May 15, 2009]  Robert E. "Bob" Graue, 79, of Lincoln, died Friday, May 15, 2009, at 3:23 a.m., at home with his family.

Visitation will be 4-7 p.m. Sunday at Holland Barry and Bennett Funeral Home in Lincoln.

His funeral Mass will be at 10 a.m. Monday at Holy Family Catholic Church in Lincoln, with Father Thomas Taylor officiating.

Inurnment will follow in Holy Cross Cemetery.

Mr. Graue, a retired General Motors dealer, was president of Graue Inc. in Lincoln and was very active in the community.

He proudly served his country as a U.S. Marine in the Korean War.

He was born Feb. 25, 1930, in Lincoln, to Walter and Gertrude Lee Graue. He married Joan Georgi in Lincoln on May 7, 1955.

Surviving are his wife, of Lincoln; two daughters, M. Elizabeth Graue (and Clark Landis) of Madison, Wis., and Barbara A. (and Brad) Nikles of Lincoln; three sons, Mark E. (and Bobbette) Graue of Lincoln, Steven R. Graue (and Annie V. Picard) of Chicago and Christopher J. (and Phyllis) Graue of Lincoln; and eight grandchildren, Ethan, Olivia and Jackson Graue, Derek and Patrick Graue, Kate Nikles, and Sam and Max Graue-Landis.

He was preceded in death by his parents; one son, Thomas J. Graue; and one brother, Darrell Graue.

Mr. Graue was a member of Holy Family Catholic Church in Lincoln, where he served as trustee and eucharistic minister.

He was also a member of the American Legion, Lincoln Elks Club, Lincoln Rotary Club and Knights of Columbus, Fourth Degree. He served as president of the Lincoln-Logan County Chamber of Commerce and chairman of the chamber's tourism committee, president and charter member of the Lincoln Jaycees, and president of the Abraham Lincoln Memorial Hospital board of trustees.

He was a 10-gallon contributor to the Red Cross blood bank.

He had served as a member of the executive council of the Logan County Cooperative Extension and achieved designation as Master Gardener.

He managed to devote himself to all of these organizations, resulting in his being named a Paul Harris Fellow through Rotary International in April of 1989, Rotarian of the Year in 2006, Lincoln Courier Citizen of the Year in 1991 and the Lincoln Jaycees Citizen of the Year in 1992. He also received the Time Magazine Quality Dealer Award in 1978.

He was educated at Sugar Grove and Elkhart grade schools, Lincoln Community High School and St. Ambrose University in Davenport, Iowa.

While being devoted to his church, his business and his community, Bob Graue was first and foremost devoted to his family.

Memorial donations may be made to Holy Family Catholic Church, Abraham Lincoln Memorial Hospital or the Humane Society of Logan County and will be accepted at the funeral home.

Click here to send a note of condolence to the Graue family.

(See article posted in Top Stories on Friday.)