Claude Lorius Obituary, Death – Lawrence Fredric Traudt was born to Henry and Metta (Hamburger) Traudt on April 30, 1933 in the community of Edgar, Nebraska. His mother’s maiden name was Hamburger. He currently calls the town of Hebron in Nebraska his home. In a household with a total of six sons, he was the sixth and youngest of the bunch. On February 5, 2017, at the age of 83, he was welcomed into the arms of his heavenly father at the Thayer County Health Services in Hebron. His passing occurred on that day.
Lawrence was christened on June 11th, 1933, and seven years later, on July 7th, 1946, he was confirmed. His boyhood was spent in the area of Edgar and Sutton, and he obtained his high school certificate from Sutton High School in the year 1950. He was born and raised in the area. Lawrence enrolled in the United States Army in May of 1953, and he served in that capacity until March of 1955, when he was honourably dismissed from the military. In the course of his tour of duty, he spent one year performing his duties at a military installation in Japan.
Pastor F.E. Foutz performed the ceremony that legally united Lawrence Merrill and Phyllis Merrill in marriage on March 11, 1956 in the Methodist Church located in Geneva. The combination of these two people culminated in the birth of two daughters, Lorene and Lois, who were a source of joy for their mother and father.
In 1965, Lawrence and Phyllis moved from Sutton to Hebron, where they both obtained work with the Kansas-Nebraska Gas Company. During this time, both of them were married to each other. Lawrence and Phyllis Traudt started their sheet metal business in 1971 and named it Traudts Sheet Metal. They finally severed their ties with the business and handed it over to Jaye and Sheena Moeller, who purchased it in the year 1993. After the transaction, Lawrence continued to assist Jaye with the tasks that he enjoyed right up until the point where his deteriorating health made it impossible for him to continue.
During his half-century-long tenure as a volunteer with the Sutton and Hebron Fire Departments, during which he also served as Chief of both departments, he was promoted to the position of Fire Chief. In addition to that, he was a member of a number of different civic organizations, including the American Legion Saxton Post #180, the Hebron Country Club, and a few more. His pride in his community inspired him to become active in these and other groups in the community. In addition to that, Lawrence served as a Thayer County Commissioner from the years 1998 to 2011, during which time he was also a member of the board of directors for the Thayer County Hospital Foundation. Lawrence was an active and productive member of the Hebron United Methodist Church for the majority of his life, which spanned 52 years. One of the most important things he could do for the congregation was to construct a curio cabinet for the church so that it could display its historical items. Golf, hunting, and fishing were among of his favourite interests when he was younger, but as his health declined, he discovered that his true passion lay in woodworking and painting instead. Perhaps most importantly, Lawrence placed a very high value on the time that he was able to spend with his family at all times.
His parents, as well as his father and mother-in-law, Fred and Irene Merrill, as well as his brothers Paul (Katy), Donald (Fern), Ernest (Ruth), LeRoy and newborn twin ElRoy, sister-in-law Doris Richards (Dean), infant in-laws Lois and Charles Merrill, nephew Dale Traudt, and niece Cack Traudt had all passed away before him.