Charles E Kemptar

Charles Kemptar, 83, of Cairo, NE died December 2, 2020 at CHI Health St. Francis. A private family service will be held on December 7, 2020 at Cairo United Methodist Church with Rev. Cat Love officiating. A public visitation will be from 4 to 7 pm on Sunday, December 6th at the Cairo United Methodist Church. Memorials are suggested to the Gathering Place or the Cairo United Methodist Church. Masks and social distancing will be required. Apfel Funeral Home is assisting the family.

He was born on August 25, 1937 in Grand Island, NE to William “Bud” and Alice (Feldmayer) Kemptar. He grew up in Ravenna and St. Michael. He graduated from Ravenna High School in 1954 and then attended The University of Nebraska where he played for the Huskers for one year.

He was united in marriage to Judith “Judy” Meves on December 29, 1961. After which the couple lived on the Kemptar Ranch in Ravenna, NE.

Charlie was a member of the Air Guard, Cairo Methodist Church, Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, Ducks Unlimited, Izaak Walton League, and the Masonic Lodge. He also was involved in planting trees for the living snow fence along Highway 2 on the Buffalo/Hall County line and also in planting hundreds of trees on the bluffs in the same area. Most days you could find him “checking on things” in the Jeep with his orange stocking cap on at the ranch where he grew up and cared for deeply. Charlie loved the outdoors and spent time fishing and hunting with friends and family. He packed up and went to Colorado and Montana on several Elk hunts throughout his life. He also loved music and was a great dancer. He loved black and white movies, Westerns, 50’s music and he was an avid reader. If he was at home or waiting for someone in the car, he was usually reading and twirling his hair which was a habit that was inherited by a few of his grandchildren. Charlie also loved playing cards at the center and entertaining all the people that were there. He always had a good story to tell. Charlie loved to cook and was famous for his macaroni salad and his baked beans. You would never leave hungry if Charlie was around. The thing Charlie loved the most was spending time with his family and he adored his grandchildren. He passed his love of the outdoors to all of his grandchildren and hunted every year with them as well as several other close family friends.

He is survived by his wife, Judy Kemptar of Cairo; son, William (Kimberly) Kemptar of Ravenna; daughters, Carla Blake (John Stokes) of Cairo, and Kristin (Rob) Schultz of Cairo; six grandchildren, Brandon Blake, Tiffany (Jarrod) Jacobsen, Taylor Schultz, Paige Blake, Megan Kemptar and Trey Schultz and one great grandchild, Greysen Blake with two more on the way.

He was preceded in death by his parents William “Bud” and Alice Kemptar and daughter Elizabeth Sattler.