Kenneth Rohrs

The memorial service for Kenneth V. Rohrs, 79, of Fremont will be 11:00 a.m. Thursday at the Presbyterian Church.

He died Sunday, January 18, 2004, at Marquis Place Assisted Living in Elkhorn.

Rohrs was born March 18, 1914, in Johnson.  He was raised in the Auburn area and graduated from Auburn High School in 1941. He went to Peru State College until enlisting in the U.S. Army Air Corps in 1943. He served with the 463rd Bomber Group in Italy.

He was a prisoner of war in Vienna, Austria, after being shot down over Vienna.  He attained the rank of First Lieutenant and received a purple heart.

On returning after the war, he married Miss Glendora Galloway on July 26, 1945 in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He went back to college at the University of Nebraska and completed his degree in civil engineering. He went to work for Nebraska Crib and Silo, which became Stor-Mor, where he was general manager. When it was sold to Fuqua, he became president of the company until his retirement in 1985.

Survivors include: his wife, Glendora of Fremont; two sons, Ron Rohrs of Fremont and Rick (and wife, Cyndi) Rohrs of Lincoln; two daughters, Patty (and husband, Mick) Mott of Omaha and Teri (and husband, Jim) Merriman of Fremont; a brother, Dennis (and wife, Margaret) Rohrs of Whitewater, Wisconsin, three grandchildren, Jared Rohrs, Courtney and Meg Merriman.

The Rev. Richard Meyer will officiate Thursday's service.

There will be no visitation. Internment will be at 1 p.m. at Memorial Cemetery.  A memorial has been established to the Alzheimer's Association.

Lattin-Dugan-Chambers Funeral Chapel in Fremont

 is in charge of arrangements.

Fremont Tribune

January 22, 2004

Won Flying Course

For Writing Essay

Kenneth Rohrs recently won eight hours of free flying instructions in Paramount's "I Wanted Wings" contest held locally through the courtesy of the State Theatre and Bringham flying service.

Kenneth who is a son of Mr. and Mrs. Vern Rohrs, has already taken his course and made his first solo flight last week.

He won the prize for writing a 50-word essay on "Why I Want to Fly," the local entries being judged by Clarence Souders and

Dwight Griffiths. Glenn Leonard, theater manager,  reports that the national winner of a Piper Cub airplane has not yet been decided, and so Kenneth still has a chance to win in the national contest.

Nemaha County Herald

Thursday

August 14, 1941

Lt. Kenneth Rohrs Awarded Air Medal

Mr. and Mrs. Vern Rohrs, who are now engaged in the war effort program at the Mead defense plant, received the Air medal award which was given their son, Lt. Kenneth Rohrs, who is stationed with the American Air Force somewhere in Italy.

The award was presented to Rohrs for meritorious service rendered on numerous bombing raid sorties made by himself and other members of their crew of theB-17 Flying Fortress bombers against German munitions and aircraft factories.

Mr. and Mrs. Rohrs, sensing the great need for workers in the defense plants decided upon a course of doing what they could to aid the war effort and incidentally hasten the day when their son and thousands of others like him might return home. They chose to work in the Mead bomb loading plant - loading and rushing the large bombs which they hope their son will carry in his big bomber, that will lend their weight to the slowing down of the power-mad Nazi's.

Nemaha County Herald

Thursday

December 14, 1944