Albert Austin

Albert Colcord Austin was born September 8, 1917 at Crab Orchard, Nebraska to Rev. Charles Emerson Austin and Iva (Colcord) Austin. Albert?s father was a school administrator and Methodist minister. Albert became a resident of Nemaha County in 1920 when his parents purchased a house and land in Brownville. His father served as minister, principal, and superintendent. The family moved in 1926, but bought more land on which they planted grapes and fruit trees. They came back each summer to harvest the fruit. Through the years Albert continued to buy land and at his death had accumulated 60 acres.

He continued to move around Nebraska attending schools in Tryon, Hershey, Riverdale, and Erickson. Albert participated in vocal music, basketball, track, and enjoyed singing on the radio with his sisters. He graduated from Erickson High School in 1938, and went on to attend the University of Nebraska.

In 1942 Albert was inducted into the U. S. Army. He was trained to be a pharmacist, and went overseas in July of 1944, serving station hospitals in England, Ireland, and France. After his honorable discharge in 1945, Albert returned to the University of Nebraska, and then went back to Erickson as principal and teacher.

On June 14, 1947 Albert married Glenice Rose Kemptar in Erickson. To this union were born Nancy Rose, Charles Kemptar, and James Albert Austin.

Albert graduated from Nebraska Wesleyan University. His first job was principal, teacher, and coach at Murdock, Nebraska. He then returned to Erickson as Superintendent of Schools.

From 1951 to 1958 Albert was farm manager for the Roscoe Hill Hatchery at Lincoln. He then returned to the educational field and was superintendent at school districts in Cody, Guide Rock, and Tecumseh, Nebraska.

Albert earned his Masters Degree in School Administration from the University of Nebraska in 1961 and his Specialist Degree in Administration in 1964.

He served as Superintendent of Schools of the Auburn-Peru District #29 from 1966 until his retirement in 1980. During his tenure at Auburn, the addition to Calvert Elementary School, the Peru Elementary School, and the new Senior High School in Auburn were built. He and Glenice were members of the First United Methodist Church in Auburn, and Albert also belonged to Kiwanis, the American Legion, Nebraska Schoolmasters Association, and Phi Kappa Delta. Albert would later belong to and serve as President of the Brownville Historical Society.

After retirement Albert and Glenice continued to live in Auburn where Albert was able to travel to Brownville to his cabin in the woods and pursue his hobbies of raising Christmas trees and chopping wood.

Upon the death of his wife, Glenice, in 1990, Albert built a house in his woods near Brownville in 1992. He spent the rest of his life there, and continued his Christmas tree farm, cutting wood, and feeding birds.

After a steady decline in his health, Albert passed away at the Nemaha County Good Samaritan Center in Auburn on Saturday, February 3, 2007. He had attained the age of 89 years, 4 months, and 26 days. Besides his wife Glenice, Albert was preceded in death by his parents, sisters Edith, Ethel, Esther, and Rachel, and brother Hiram Merritt.

Survivors include his children Nancy Austin of Auburn; Chuck and wife Peg Austin of Spearfish, SD; Jim Austin of Brownville; grandsons Matt Austin of Spearfish; Dan and wife Sarah Austin of Spearfish; sisters-in-law Lois Quaife of Grand Island, NE; Anita Austin of Albuquerque, NM; good friend Evelyn West of Auburn; many other relatives and friends.

Funeral services were held Tuesday, February 06, 2007 at the First United Methodist Church in Auburn, officiated by Rev. Harold Backus. John and Mary Lauber were vocalists, with piano accompaniment by Mary. Pallbearers were Dan Austin, Matt Austin, Chris Cashmere, Jay Hauserman, Billy Hayes, and Allan Casey. Honorary pallbearers were Marvin Holsclaw, Tom Morrissey, and Dr. Paul Scott. Burial followed in the Walnut Grove Cemetery at Brownville.