Wanda Kreitman

Wanda Arlene Wedekind Kreitman passed from this life into eternal life on 10 May, 2022. She died in her own home after a long battle with Parkinson Disease. She was a servant of Lord Jesus Christ for 99 years. Her life started on a farm near Newman Grove, Nebraska on January 23, 1923. Her parents were Henry Wedekind and Maybelle Nelson. She was a third generation German and Swedish American. She attended country school which was located on the family farm. In 1941, she graduated from Newman Grove High School. Her dream was to be a teacher. She received her teaching certificate from Wayne State and a Bachelor’s Degree from Chadron State College in 1983. Wanda began her teaching career in country schools. She taught three years before World War II interrupted her dream. She wanted to do her part for the war effort. She applied and received employment at the Kaiser Ship Building Company which was located in Portland, Oregon. At that time Kaiser was building warships for the U.S. Navy. Wanda became one of Mr. Kaiser’s personal secretaries. Among her many secretarial duties was christening ships that were completed and going off to war. After WWII, she married Paul Kreitman from Long Pine, NE. The ceremony took place at Zion Lutheran Church on March 24, 1946. This was the same wooden country church where Wanda was baptized and confirmed. They moved to China Lake, California where Paul worked at the Naval Ordnance Testing Station and Wanda taught preschool. But Nebraska was calling them home. They rented a farm south of Newman Grove and became dairy farmers. There they had their first daughter Barbara Jean. The 1950’s weren’t gracious to dairy farmers. Paul applied to work for a new airline company called Frontier. He was hired which meant another move to his first station, Alamosa, Colorado. While living in Colorado, Paul learned about the airline industry while Wanda taught Sunday School. Their family grew with two more daughters, Donna May arrived in July of 1957, but God called her to His heavenly home just a few days after her birth. In 1959, the family was blessed with their last child, a daughter, Karlene Ann. As Paul's career advanced there were several more moves from Colorado, to Nebraska, Missouri, Montana then back to Nebraska. Through these many moves Wanda continued teaching . They arrived in Chadron in 1969 and stayed. Wanda was a lifelong dedicated teacher She taught in Lutheran schools, country schools and over thirty years of teaching on the Pine Ridge Indian reservation. Upon her retirement she received adoption into the Oglala Sioux Indian tribe. She was given the honored Eagle feather and the name Red Dawn Woman because of the many sunrises Wanda saw on her daily morning drives north to the reservation. Wanda was a lifelong servant for the Lord as a member of Our Savior’s Lutheran church for over forty years. She taught Sunday school, Vacation Bible School and confirmation classes. Wanda also held local and district offices in the Lutheran Women's Missionary League. After retirement, Wanda fulfilled her civic duties by being president of Chadron’s American Legion Auxiliary. She was a member of the Nebraska Reading Association. She volunteered as a grandmother at the local preschool. She was involved with R.S.V.P. and Dawes County Museum. Wanda with her husband Paul were avid gardeners. They both loved to travel and be with family and friends. Wanda was preceded in death by her parents Henry and Maybelle Wedekind, daughter Donna May, husband Paul Kreitman, brother Glen Wedekind, sister-in-law Margie Wedekind, and brother Don Wedekind. She is survived by her daughter Barbara (Kreitman) McCartney & husband Fred of Chadron, Nebraska, her daughter Karlene (Kreitman) Well & husband Keith of Elizabethtown, Kentucky, and grandchildren: Amanda Earl, husband Brandon of Spearfish, South Dakota; Scott Young, wife Mariah of Burlington, Vermont; Richard Well of Amberg, Germany; Ryan Well, wife Rachel of Lincoln ,Nebraska; and Rebecca Well of Mobile, Alabama and great grandchildren: Jezlin, Talon and Violet Earl; Krito, Asunh and McCartney Young; Evelyn and Emily Well. She is also survived by Special Angel friends Janel Dexter, Cathy Donahue and Barbara Merritt Expressions of sympathy may be made in the form of donations to ; Our Savior’s Lutheran Church, Chadron Volunteer Fire Department, and Dawes County Museum.