Funeral Services for Dwaine H. Rethwisch, age 92, of Wayne will be held Monday at 10:30 a.m. at Grace Lutheran Church in Wayne. Visitation will be Sunday from 5:00 – 7:00 p.m. at Grace Lutheran Church in Wayne with family present. Interment will be at Greenwood Cemetery in Wayne. He passed away on Monday at his home at Kinship Pointe in Wayne. Dwaine’s family requests memorials be made to the Orphan Grain Train and Grace Lutheran Church. Arrangements are with Hasemann Funeral Home of Wayne.
Dwaine Henry Rethwisch was born Nov. 8, 1928 on a farm north of Carroll to Henry and Florence nee Becker Rethwisch and was the first of three children. He received Holy Baptism on Thanksgiving Day at St. Paul Lutheran Church in Carroll by Rev. Brackensieck.
The family moved to a farm west of Wayne in 1936 (didn’t have electricity nor running water until 1939 there) and began attending Grace Lutheran Church in Wayne. Dwaine was confirmed in 1942 and was part of the class confirmed on Mother’s Day in the ‘new’ church building that was dedicated in March.
Graduating from Wayne District #20 grade school and then Wayne High School, he began farming with his dad as well as traveling with a threshing crew to earn money and became a dealer for Moews Seed Co. On Oct. 6, 1957 he married Carol Mae Peters at Salem Lutheran Church in Fremont. Their union was blessed with five children- Michael, Gregory, Marcia, Steven, and Stuart who were raised on the home place as Dwaine actively farmed until 2002. They also hosted many international students from Egypt, Japan, France, Switzerland, and also for a year from Belgium -Alain Guillot-Pingue who also attended Wayne High School and graduated in 1976. The couple was also involved in a group of five families who continued to meet monthly, fondly called Supper Club, for over 50 years.
Dwaine was active in his community and church throughout his life. He served as secretary and president of School District #51; led Wayne County Hi-Raters 4-H club for 20 years; served on the Wayne County Weed Board for 28 years, often as secretary; Wayne Lions Club – secretary and twice president and was honored to represent the local Lions club in 2013 in Hamburg, Germany. He also served as president of the International 4-H Youth Exchange (IFYE) Nebraska host family association and president of the Wayne County Republican Party.
Aiding the church at home and abroad, Dwaine assisted Grace Lutheran in most lay positions, ranging from voting member to assistant usher, trustee, elder, Evangelism Board, and was a Stephen Minister. He was also the current president of Grace’s Duo Club. Outside the local congregation, he was treasurer and president of Zone 3 of the Nebraska Lutheran Layman’s League and also volunteered time sorting clothes at Orphan Grain Train in Norfolk. After retiring from farming, Dwaine and Carol also did construction on church and school buildings in Nebraska and Texas through Laborers for Christ.
Survivors include Michael and Dana (nee Sheesley) of Blythe, California, Marcia and Jim Brown of Orange, Texas, Steven and Mary (nee Polodna) of Fort Dodge, Iowa, and Pastor Stuart and Jennifer (nee Schilmoeller) of Victor, Iowa; grandchildren Cassandra, Adam, and Alesha Rethwisch; Rebecca Brown; Sarah (Josh) Wudtke, Rachel, and Nathan Rethwisch; and Lydia, Elizabeth, Logan, and Elijah Rethwisch; sister Darlene Johnson of Wayne; nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Henry and Florence; son, Gregory, in a farm accident in 1963; brother Lowell Rethwisch; and his wife of 61 years, Carol, in January of 2019.
