Wilhelm AA Perleberg

Wilhelm AA. Perleberg, 94, Kearney, died Saturday, December 16, 2017 at Mt. Carmel Home and Rehabilitation Center in Kearney. Funeral services for Wilhelm and Ruth will be on Thursday, December 21, 2017 at 10:30 a.m. at Horner Lieske McBride & Kuhl Funeral and Cremation Services in Kearney. Rev. Brian Klein will officiate and burial will follow at Kearney Cemetery. Visitation will be on Wednesday, December 20, 2017 from 5:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. and also 1 hour prior to services on Thursday all at the funeral home. Memorials are suggested to the family, to be designated later. Please visit www.hlmkfuneral.com to leave a message of condolence. Horner Lieske McBride & Kuhl Funeral and Cremation Services in Kearney are in charge of arrangements. Wilhelm A. A. Perleberg was born December 23, 1922 in Berlin, Germany to Alfred and Else (Wagner) Perleberg. On June 25, 1949, he married Charlotte Czech in Berlin. In 1952, Willie with his wife and child fled East Berlin. Loading the baby carriage with only a few personal items, they crossed over into the West sector of Berlin to freedom. Unable to inform their family members and friends of their plans for fear of discovery, they left all without saying good bye. Before WWII, Willie received his education in Germany as a tool and die maker. He was a master craftsman and even taught his craft to apprentices. After fleeing East Berlin, the family moved to Eschwege, Germany where he worked as a tool and die maker over the next 7 years. After seeing a posting at the local employment office that Baldwin Manufacturing in Kearney, Nebraska was seeking a tool and die maker, he decided to apply. J.A. Baldwin hired him and sponsored his family to America. Willie with his family landed on the shores of New York City on December 13, 1959. Thanks to the generosity of many of the Baldwin employees and the community of Kearney, his family was welcome with a furnished apartment complete with all the Christmas trimmings and presents under the tree. Willie retired from Baldwin/Clarcor Manufacturing in 1994. On March 1, 1991, Charlotte passed away after 42 years of marriage. The year before Charlotte’s passing, they were able to travel back to their homeland and celebrate with their family the Berlin Wall being torn down. A historic event that no one thought they would ever see. On September 23, 1995, he married Ruth Halmhofer in Kearney, Nebraska at the Evangelical Free Church. She passed away on November 28, 2017. Willie loved to re-design and improve on products. He also enjoyed music, dancing (particularly to swing music), traveling to the mountains and the Pacific Ocean. Weekends were always filled with a drive to somewhere. Willie was preceded in death by his parents, his sisters Ilse and Emmi, his brother Manfred, and his wives, Charlotte and Ruth. Willie is survived by his sister Gretchen of Berlin; his children and spouses, Ulrich (Debra) Perleberg of Flowery Branch, Georgia, Yvonne (Dean) Smith of Kearney; grandchildren, Reiko (Jamie) Perleberg of Birmingham, Alabama, Tiara (Jesse) Davis of Lincoln, Racheal (Adam) Steinke of Beaver City, Natalie Rodriguez of Berkeley, California, Corinne and Kendall Smith of Kearney; and 6 great grandchildren; and numerous nephews and nieces in Germany. Also survived by step-children Jurgen Halmhofer, Karen Bosman, Steve(Kim) Halmhofer all of Redding, California; and 5 step-grandchildren

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Wilhelm AA Perleberg

December 23, 1922 - December 16, 2017