Omahans’ movie star looks helped bring them together; 65 years later, they’re still a couple: Short Takes

He made quite the impression on her, too, when they finally met. Bob was in the Navy and they’d been corresponding by letter at the request of Bob’s brother.

“I couldn’t believe what I was looking at. He was handsome. He had beautiful black hair,” Donna said. “He looked like a movie star. I looked at him and he looked at me and that was it.”

They were married shortly after Donna’s 18th birthday, on Oct. 31, 1959. Bob was just 19.

The two this week are celebrating their 65th wedding anniversary. They have five children, 11 grandchildren and three great grandchildren.

“Thank God we have all of them,” Donna said.

Donna said because they married so young, they grew up together. When asked about the best and worst times of staying married 65 years, Donna said she’d start with the tough part.

They had four kids right away, each a year apart. They had no phone and no car and Bob was away a lot with the Navy. There wasn’t much money.

“Everything was pretty hard when you didn’t have those conveniences,” Donna said. “We were on the East Coast, away from family. I got through it, and I made it.”

Once Bob left the Navy, and started a job at the Fort Calhoun nuclear plant, things started looking up for the family. They had one more child and enjoyed leisurely activities like boating.

“We had a nice life and everything after the Navy was over,” she said.

The couple are now living at the Norfolk Veterans’ Home until an opening comes up closer to home in Omaha. They enjoy the residence because it’s fun to reminisce with others who spent time in the military, Donna said.

“A lot of people started out the same way we did,” she said.

Their family is holding a card shower to honor their 65th wedding anniversary. Bob uses a scooter now, so they’ll just have a small family celebration.

Cards may be sent to the DeMeulmeesters at 600 E. Benjamin Ave., Norfolk, NE 68701.

Donation will help protect grasslands

Local communities across Nebraska and the Northern Great Plains will benefit from a new $60 million donation that will support restoration, improvement and protection of more than 1.5 million acres of the region’s endangered grasslands.

The Bezos Earth Fund has donated $60 million to the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, marking the largest single philanthropic commitment for landscape restoration to NFWF. This funding will support local restoration projects across Montana, Wyoming, North Dakota, South Dakota and Nebraska, as well as longleaf pine restoration in the southeastern U.S.

Over the past three years, the Bezos Earth Fund has provided funding to NFWF and over 200 local partners, enabling the restoration and improved management of 2.7 million acres of land.

Building on that progress, this donation will empower local partners to plant native grasses, manage invasive species and improve land management through sustainable grazing practices. These efforts will boost at-risk species populations in the region, such as pronghorn, black-footed ferrets and grassland nesting songbirds, while supporting the livelihoods of local ranchers and farmers.

EPIC moves to CSM campus

EPIC for Girls has relocated from downtown Omaha to Mercy Hall, 7000 Mercy Road, on the College of St. Mary campus.

The move allows the nonprofit to use meeting space and utilize the Lied Fitness Center Fieldhouse with its 25 sports partners.

“The initiative we are working toward is improving outcomes for girls in sports, particularly girls of color from north and south Omaha,” said Kimberly Thomas, EPIC for Girls executive director. “That blended well with College of Saint Mary’s goal to increase diversity on campus and visibility within the community.”

Hitchcock event will help Open Door Mission

Enjoy running and hiking at the Hitchcock Nature Center as well as helping the men and women of the Open Door Mission on Nov. 9 at 9 a.m.

The event is sponsored by HOKA, Peak Challenge, local trail runners and the Omaha Running Club, in cooperation with Hitchcock Nature Center.

Participants can donate socks, underwear, coats or gently used running shoes.

Over the past two years, runners and hikers have donated more than 1,500 pairs of socks. More than 100 pairs of shoes have been donated by HOKA and 70 more by participants.

For more information, contact David Reddel at 402-206-9176 or email [email protected].

If you don’t have an annual pass, the daily entry fee is $5.

Two from Buffett Institute honored

Walter Gilliam, the executive director of the Buffett Early Childhood Institute at the University of Nebraska, received the 2024 Research Trailblazer Award from the international Parents as Teachers organization.

Gilliam accepted the award Oct. 14 at the organization’s annual conference in San Diego, alongside Dr. Joshua Sparrow, an associate professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School and the executive director of Brazelton Touchpoints Center at Boston Children’s Hospital.

The two are the first recipients of this award, which recognizes their contributions to the field of early childhood education and research. Both serve on the Parents as Teachers Research Council.

Parents as Teachers cited Gilliam’s research on improving the quality of pre-K and child care services, methods for reducing classroom behavior problems and preschool expulsion, the impact of COVID-19 on the physical and mental health of early educators, and more.

Gilliam became the executive director of the Buffett Institute in 2023. He was previously a professor of child psychiatry and psychology at the Yale Child Study Center and director of Yale’s Edward Zigler Center in Child Development and Social Policy.

In other news, Linda Smith, the director of policy at the Buffett Early Childhood Institute, received the CDA Advocate Award for Early Childhood Education from the Council for Professional Recognition.

The council helps early educators further their educational and career goals through different pathways and credentials, including the Child Development Associate credential.

Smith accepted the award Oct. 18 at the 2024 Early Educators Leadership Conference in Washington, D.C. It recognizes her “tireless advocacy” for quality early childhood education.

CSM is honored for being green

For the third straight year, College of St. Mary has been recognized as one of the nation’s most environmentally responsible colleges, according to the Princeton Review.

The education services company featured CSM in its online resource, The Princeton Review Guide to Green Colleges: 2025 Edition, which profiles 511 colleges that foster a culture of environmental responsibility and demonstrate a commitment to sustainability. The guide, which was published Oct. 15, is accessible for free at princetonreview.com/green-guide.

The Princeton Review chose the colleges for this edition based on a survey conducted in 2023-24 of administrators at nearly 600 colleges about their institution’s sustainability related policies, practices and programs. The company also surveyed college students about their “green” campus experiences.

Dreamweavers to send cards for holidays

Dreamweaver Foundation’s annual “Making Spirits Bright” event, presented by Physicians Mutual, will take place on Nov. 21 from 5 to 8 p.m. at Carson Headquarters, 14600 Branch St.

Attendees will write and decorate holiday cards for older adults with life-limiting illnesses. In 2023, more than 400 volunteers helped write and deliver nearly 5,000 handwritten cards to older adults.

“At Dreamweaver, our mission is to bring joyful experiences and meaningful connection to older adults,” said Phil Taylor, executive director of Dreamweaver Foundation. “Writing a card to someone who may not otherwise receive one is a simple yet powerful way to make a difference.”

This year, Dreamweaver Foundation invites the community to get involved.

For more information on how to participate in Making Spirits Bright, or to sponsor or donate, please visit dreamweaver.org (click the Events tab near the top of the page), email [email protected] or call 402-990-1343.

Konwinski steps down at Smart Gen Society

Smart Gen Society CEO Amie Konwinski will step down from her role at the end of 2024.

She has served as CEO since the organization’s inception in 2016. As a founder, she will remain on the board of directors.

Konwinski founded the organization with a vision to help educate busy parents about keeping kids safe online.

The Smart Gen board of directors has formed a transition committee and will be partnering with NEXT Recruitment and Consulting to find the next executive director.

Ag Department sending out payments

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has begun issuing more than $2.14 billion in payments to eligible agricultural producers and landowners — providing support through key conservation and safety net programs.

Program participants are expected to receive more than $1.7 billion through the Conservation Reserve Program and CRP Transition Incentive Program and more than $447 million through the Agriculture Risk Coverage and Prices Loss Coverage programs. FSA is announcing an investment of $21 million for projects to better measure the effectiveness of CRP.

“Conservation and safety net program payments are significant investments in preserving and protecting our valuable and vulnerable natural resources and they provide protection for producers impacted by market volatilities,” said Tim Divis, acting FSA state executive director in Nebraska. “These programs support voluntary land stewardship and provide agricultural producers with risk protection and production stability, keeping them in business and feeding the world.”

UNO’s Career Closet seeks donations

The Career Closet at the University of Nebraska at Omaha has been a big success. More than 2,500 clothing items have been donated and 525 students have attended a Career Closet pop-up shop.

The closet is seeking more volunteers to grow the program and help more students dress for success. The next donation drop-off of new or gently used professional clothing is Wednesday from 2 to 4 p.m. at Thompson Alumni Center, 6705 Dodge St.

The closet also needs winter clothing such as coats, scarves, gloves and boots.

Short Takes is a compilation of lightly edited press releases from various organizations. If you’d like to have your information included, send it to [email protected] at least 10 days before the item needs to run. Photos are welcomed with a photo credit and caption.