Lewis H. Mehling

Lew Mehling, 90 of Sidney, Nebraska died Sunday morning, March 12, 2017 at his home in Sidney.

There will be visitation on Wednesday, March 15th at Holechek Funeral Home in Sidney from 3 p m. to 6 p.m. with the family present. Cremation will follow with memorial Services to be held at 10:30 A.M., Thursday, March 16, 2017 in the Holy Trinity Lutheran Church in Sidney with Pastor David Hall officiating. Services will conclude at the church with inurnment in the Greenwood Cemetery at a later date.

Memorials have been established to Holy Trinity Lutheran Church or Sidney Regional Medical Center.

Lewis H. Mehling was born November 10, 1926, in West Point, Nebraska to Frank and Clara Mehling of Bancroft, Nebraska. He had five half-brothers and one-half sister. Lewis’ family lived on a farm southwest of Bancroft. Lewis attended Bancroft Public School. After graduating from high school in 1944, Lewis joined the United States Air Force in June of 1944. He graduated from the Air Force A & E school in October of 1945. Lewis was then stationed at Itami Air Base in Osaka, Japan from December 1945 to November 1946. He received his honorable discharge from the United States Air Force in November of 1946. Upon returning to Bancroft in 1946, he began his banking career at the First National Bank in Bancroft. On May 19, 1951, he was married to Rosella Martin of Walthill, Nebraska. To this union four children were born: Lynn Marie, William Martin, Claire Louise and Charles Kent. The Mehlings remained in Bancroft until May of 1952. At that time Lew became a national bank examiner working for the Office Comptroller of the Currency as an Assistant National Bank examiner in Omaha, Nebraska. They made their home in Omaha from May of 1952 till October of 1955, when they moved to Sidney. At the American National Bank of Sidney, Lew held the various positions of Cashier, Vice-President, Executive Vice-President, President and Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors. After retirement, Lew became associated with the Potter State Bank in 1990 as a financial consultant and loan officer.

Lew was an active participant in local civic activities such as a board member and president of the Sidney Chamber of Commerce. He served many years as a board member and chairman of the Finance Committee for the Memorial Health Center. He was a board member and president of the Panhandle Growth Inc.; a board member and president of Voluntary Employees Benefit Association for the Nebraska Bankers Association; a board member for the Nebraska Business Development Corp.; a board member of Nebraskans for the Arts. He served as a board member for the Blue Cross-Blue Shield Advisory Committee. Lew was also a board member for the City of Sidney Development Advisory Committee. Lew served many years as a board member and President of the C.A. Story Foundation.

Lew was preceded in death by his mother and father.

His survivors include his wife Rosella Mehling of Sidney, NE; his children: Lynn Nelson of Denver, CO, William and wife Janet Mehling of Goodland, KS, Claire and husband Dave Evans of Southlake, TX and Chuck and wife Cheryl Mehling of Houston, TX; nine grandchildren: Chadd Nelson, Scott Gausman, Katie Morgan, Kristy Stutz, Brooke Baker, Crystal Cutbirth and their spouses; Tom and Craig Evans, and Taylor Mehling, and 13 great-grandchildren.

Holechek Funeral Home and Cremations in Sidney is serving the Mehling family.