Paul Londer

Paul Londer loved to talk. So much so that he made it his profession. If you met him, you got to know him quickly, because he’d keep asking you questions until he found a connection. He was good at that; connecting with people. He packed a lot of life into his 79 years. Born January 10, 1944 in Wood Lake, Nebraska, to Fred and Ortha Londer, he and his brother Rex got into the mischief that only kids from that time and that place could. They grew up poor, so fun meant seeing if they could band together to get into some trouble or collecting bottles to turn in for movie money over in Valentine, which they’d have to hitchhike to get to, as elementary school kids. They might also jump into a train car and take a ride into the next town for some fun. In high school he played basketball and football and worked. He’s worked since he was 11, first throwing hale bales onto trucks in the fields. The only thing our dad might have loved more than talking was working. He moved to Kearney after high school and met our mom Winona “Jody” Londer and they were married on March 14, 1965. They scrapped and saved until they finally had enough money to open Londer’s Auction in 1969. They built that business over the years, along with a furniture store. And a mini mart. And a real estate agency. And a rental business. And an ice delivery business. And probably some other businesses that we don’t know about or have since forgotten. Like we said, our dad loved working. He wasn’t all work and talk though. He loved getting out his old Model A or the stupid giant yellow Lincoln that he loved (and his son hated) and driving them around for Cruise Night or just because he hadn’t done so in a while. He loved going to the casino and playing the slots. He loved having coffee with his brother, but that was mostly just talking again. And he loved his kids and his grandkids and spent time with them when he could. He’s survived by those kids, Vicki Londer and Bret (and wife Mandy) Londer, and those grandkids, Teddy and Emmy, and his nieces Sherri and Lynda. They’ll all miss him dearly. He was proceeded in death by his wife Jody, his brother Rex, and his parents Fred and Ortha. If you would like to pay your respects, there will be a visitation at Horner Lieske McBride & Kuhl in Kearney on Thursday, December 28 from 5-7 p.m. and also 1 hour prior to services on Friday at the church. The funeral will be held at Faith United Methodist Church on Friday, December 29 at 10:30 a.m. Pastor Jeff Wulf will officiate, and burial will be at the Kearney Cemetery. The family will host a luncheon after the services at the cemetery are concluded at Legacy on the Bricks, 16 West 21st Street in Kearney. Memorials are suggested to the family, to be designated later. Please visit www.hlmkfuneral.com to leave a tribute or message of condolence. Horner Lieske McBride & Kuhl are in charge of arrangements. Please come and share stories. He’d love that.

Tributes

Paul Londer

January 10, 1944 - December 25, 2023