Arlington native Merle Giesselmann, 77, of Fremont, died Saturday, Jan. 4, 2003, at the A.J. Merrick Manor in Fremont.

Funeral services will be 2 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 8, at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Fremont, with the Revs. Timothy Gierke and Tim Anderson officiating.

Interment will be in Memorial Cemetery in Fremont, with military honors provided by the Fremont honor guard.

Visitation will be from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesday, with the family receiving friends from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at Ludvigsen Mortuary. Visitation will also be held Wednesday from 9 a.m. until noon at the Ludvigsen Mortuary, and one hour ahead of time at the church.

Merle Giesselmann was born June 6, 1925, in Arlington to Henry and Henrietta (Kruger) Giesselmann.

He grew up in Arlington and attended St. Paul's Lutheran and Brinkman High schools north of Arlington. After his schooling, he entered the United States Army. After serving in the military, he returned home to the farm. He continued farming and custom bailing north of Arlington, while playing for the Arlington semi-pro baseball team.

In 1950, he began working at Hormel in Fremont, where he worked until retiring in 1985. Mr. Giesselmann also operated a Christmas tree farm.

On March 5, 1950, he married Catherine Gutschow in Blair.

Mr. Giesselmann was a member of Good Shepherd Lutheran Church and American Legion Post No. 20 of Fremont.

He is survived by his wife, Catherine, daughter and son-in-law, Ruth and Steve Hespen, and son and daughter-in-law, Ron and Teresa Giesselmann, all of Fremont; sister and brother-in-law, Harriet and Gene Bloemker, also of Fremont; and brother and sister-in-law, Rupert and Irene Giesselmann of St. Louis, Mo.; and six grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by three brothers.

Memorials are suggested to the Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, Masonic-Eastern Star Home for Children in Fremont, and the Nebraska Children's Home.

Ludvigsen Mortuary in Fremont is in charge of arrangements.

~~~ Obituary courtesy of Washington County Genealogical Society. Newspaper clippings on file in the Public Library, Blair, Nebraska. FindaGrave #142478441 veteran