Raymond Louis LemkeJuly 25, 1929 – February 1, 2013

Raymond Louis Lemke, age 83 of Plattsmouth, passed away at the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha after complications from open-heart surgery. Raymond was born in Cozad, Neb. He served in the Army in the First Calvary Division in the Korean War. He married his wife, Gwenivere Case, on August 6, 1955, at St. Columbkille Church in Papillion. Raymond owned a barbershop in Papillion. He is also known for giving dance lessons and had a television show, Let’s Dance. Later, he and Gwen founded an insurance agency, Shelter Insurance, and a real estate company, Action Real Estate, in Sarpy County. Raymond followed that success with a psychotherapy practice and holistic health center. Raymond then went on to become a successful author with the book, Yes You Can, and a national convention speaker. Raymond enjoyed flying an ultralight plane that he built himself and spending time with his children and grandchildren. Raymond is survived by his wife, Gwenivere; his sons, RL and wife Amy, Todd and wife Sandy, Brad, and Tyler; grandchildren, William, Mitchell, Casey, Alex, Morgan, Miles, Sarah, Danielle, and Chad; siblings, Lou Lemke, Annamarie Miller and husband Ves, Lloyd Lemke and wife Marie, and Lois Zoucha. Raymond was preceded in death by his sister, Mary Kay Schmeeckle, and granddaughter Vivian Leigh Lemke.

Ray’s LifeA Memoir by Raymond Lemke

Are you looking for the

solution, or are you

bathing in the problem?”

These words could have been the life motto

of Raymond Lemke, a husband, a father, and a

friend counted on by many.

His memoir, Ray’s Life, explores many of

the problems Ray encountered over the years as

well as the solutions he developed to overcome

them. When Ray came down with polio at age

8, he not only recovered, he taught himself

to walk again — so well, he went on to teach

televised dance lessons. When Ray developed

a persistent childhood stutter, he challenged

himself to overcome it by talking to his pets and

his cars, then with speech courses, and finally

took on a speaking career. Ray’s service in the

Korean War left him with hearing problems.

Instead of wallowing in self-pity, he threw

himself into a succession of profitable and

not-so-profitable businesses. “Every time I get

knocked down,” Ray writes, “I see how quickly

I can get up. Life is going to knock you down.

You’ll see the advantage once you stand up.”

The opportunities for being knocked down

and getting back up were numerous, as Ray

tells in this his second book. He worked at more

than thirty-seven different jobs in his lifetime,

usually at businesses he owned or in which he

partnered. From his very first job shining shoes

in his dad’s barbershop to the pinnacle of his

career as a public speaker, Ray shares the ups

and downs of business life freely.

Business was a never-ending passion of

Ray’s, but Ray’s Life shows readers so much

more. His relationship with Gwen, his wife of

fifty-seven years, began on a dance floor, and

the photos and stories Ray shares indicate that

“Ray spent the last six months compiling his memoir, Ray’s Life. Below is a

synopsis, with a look into the exciting life of Raymond Lemke.

fun never left their side. Vacations with friends,

parties every Christmas, and yes, owning a

business or two together, are just a few of the

moments detailed inside the pages.

Ray’s boys, RL, Todd, Brad, and Tyler,

kept him searching for the next trip, the next

project, that would keep them all busy and

give everyone a chance to learn and grow. Ray

recounts one such opportunity, a camping trip

to Canada, with chagrin: “Without a doubt, if

we could have seen in advance what was going

to happen, we could probably have made better

decisions.” Somewhere, a bear and a stern

Canadian Mountie undoubtedly agree.

As his sons grew up and his careers

changed, one constant escape remained in

Ray’s life: flying. Ray’s Life describes each of

the planes he’s flown, from the little yellow J3

Cub in high school to the single-engine plane

he built himself, a beauty right until the day a

buyer wrecked it.

Building things by hand was simply part

of Ray’s being, long before ‘Do It Yourself’

became a trendy catch phrase. Planes, homes,

ponds, and ziplines were all attempted in turn.

“Energy comes from enthusiasm,” Ray writes.

“If you’re enthusiastic about your project, you’ll

have all the energy you need.”

Certainly all who knew him can agree that

his was a life lived enthusiastically.

Compiled here is a list of the various jobs

and employers discussed in Ray’s Life:

• Shoe shine boy

• Paper boy

• Odd jobs on farms

• Egg candler at a grocery store

• Farm hand with Lawrence Hilger

• Western Electric

• Magazine salesman

• Muler at Adams Ranch

• Fry cook at the Merry-Go-Round

• Barber in Edgar, Neb.

• Korean War Veteran

• American Republic Health Insurance

• Barber in Gretna, Neb.

• Barber in Papillion, Neb.

• Let’s Dance host on Channel 3

• Real estate agent

• Chinchillas

• Ray’s Drive-In

• Vending machines

• The Stump Room

• Action Real Estate

• Government offices

• MFA Insurance

• Court-appointed appraiser

• Galaxy Construction

• Land developer

• Investor in Auto Gyro U18

• Motivational Center and Pyschotherapy

• Author of Yes You Can• Professional speaker

• Adult management course at

Creighton University

• Old Market Limousine Service

• Ollie the Trolley

• Omaha Magazine subscriptions

• Tram at Omaha Zoo

• Tincher Automobile Company

parts delivery

• Gifford Farms guide

For more information about Raymond

Louis Lemke, his books and photos, please

visit raymondlemke.com.

A Memorial Service Celebrating the Life ofRaymond Louis Lemke

February 9, 2013

12:00pm Viewing

1:00pm Service

Musical Prelude Violinist, Richard L. Ness

Opening Prayer Bud Bunn, Chaplain

Opening Remarks Clint Maun

Speakers RL Lemke

Ron Ward

Gene Tschida

Memorial Video “My Way” by RL Lemke

Tribute Clint Maun

Musical Tribute “Ave Maria” Violinist, Richard L. Ness

Closing Prayer Bud Bunn, Chaplain

Closing Music Violinist, Richard L. Ness

Private Interment, Cedar Dale Cemetery in Papillion with military rites by Millard American Legion Post 374 and VFW Post 8334.

Memorials to Siena/Francis House or the Wounded Warrior Project.