Ulrich, Cleva Cleo Warren (1929-2015)

ULRICH, WARREN, SEARS, JOHNSON, MAY, ROWLEY, DEVERE, WALTERS, CLAUSEN, INMAN, HISLER

Posted By: Debbie Greenfield (email)
Date: 1/19/2015 at 16:29:58

Reichmuth Funeral Home website, Elkhorn, Nebraska

Cleva (Warren) Ulrich was born on February 8, 1929 in Webster City, Iowa to Pearl Chester and Beulah (Sears) Warren. She grew up in Webster City where she attended grade school and graduated from Webster City High School in 1947. As a young girl, Cleva enjoyed singing, reading, playing with her siblings and listening to stories on the radio.

Cleva met Gerald Ulrich at a skating rink while he was in the National Guard. He mustered up the courage to ask her to skate and their relationship blossomed. They were married on May 21, 1950 at the Methodist Church in Humboldt, Iowa. They were blessed with four children: Susan, Mitch, Lisa and Craig. Cleva and Jerry raised their family in Humboldt and Waterloo, NE before moving to Elkhorn in 1960.

Cleva worked for Northwestern Bell as an operator and in customer service when she was young and then was a stay-at-home mom until Craig started school. Later she worked at Mt. Michael, helping to edit and print the Michaeleen for 18 years before working in the business offices at Metro Tech and Remington Heights Retirement Home. Cleva enjoyed reading, sewing, going to the movies and dancing…but golf was her passion and talking about golf to any one that would listen. Even in her last few days, she longed to play another round. She enjoyed watching CNN and keeping up with current events. Something that most people don’t know about Cleva, is that she could recite the U.S. Presidents in order, by name. She was active in Women’s Club, Eastern Star, helped to lead the local drive to fund Elkhorn’s first swimming pool and also enjoyed being a member of the women’s group at church. Cleva was a woman of strong faith and committed to her church, serving as a Deacon and Sunday school teacher. She was a loving, compassionate, witty woman with a big smile. She was a prolific letter writer who wrote from the heart and cared deeply for the welfare of others. Cleva was a woman of surprising physical and emotional strength. She endured the loss of her husband, six of her siblings, overcame the effects of a brain aneurysm and fought valiantly through many difficulties the last two years. She treasured family time with the children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren who fondly referred to her as “Little Grandma”. Cleva was an avid Husker and Antler fan, enjoyed pizza, chicken and dinners out to almost anywhere as long as they had ketchup and served pie. She will be remembered for always ending the conversation on every phone call, “Love you both”.

Cleva passed away on Monday, January 5, 2015 at the Methodist Hospital in Omaha, Nebraska at the age of 85 years. She was preceded in death by her parents, Pearl and Beulah; husband Gerald; brothers, Delbert, Leon, Chester, Duane, and Earl; sisters, Donna Warren, Kay Warren, Emma Johnson, Sharron May, and Neva Rowley. Cleva is survived by her children, Susan and Dan Devere of Omaha, Mitchell and Mary Ulrich of Omaha, Lisa and Dan Walters of Norfolk, NE and Craig and Maggie Ulrich of Omaha; five grandchildren; Brian and Julie Devere, Brent Devere, Jared and Brione Walters, Brandon and Lauren Devere and Alyssa and Nick Clausen; five great grandchildren, Race Walters, Marley Clausen, Jackson Devere, Barrett Clausen and Olivia Devere; sisters, Myrna Inman of Marshalltown, IA and Della Hisler of Sioux City, IA; sister-in-law Marilyn Ulrich of Sheldon, IA.