Walt grew up in South Omaha.Graduated from South High where he was a wrestler.
As he tells it, Walt met the love of his life, Beverly (Trompke) when he picked up her roommate for a date. He never dated the roommate again.Walt and Bev were married May 13th 1950 at Holy Ghost Catholic Church, where they have been lifetime parishioners.Walt was an usher, bell ringer, and money counter at church.He coached baseball and was a Boy Scout Master.
Walt was an electrician.He was a member of IBEW Local 22 Electrical Union, starting in 1956 and retired 36 years later in 1992.He served on the board and the Old Timers Club.
Walt and Bev raised ten children, who have fond memories of camping, fishing and cabin stays in Minnesota.They looked forward to the summer union picnic at Peony Park. Then there was the back yard play ground of baseball, he put up a tether ball, swing set, whirly bird, horse tank for swimming and one winter he made and ice skating rink.
Those ten children have blessed them with 32 grandchildren and 27 great-grandchildren.Those children will tell you that He was an amazing man in their life.Teaching them many important things like the fishing, campfire & hunting stuff and lessons in life.They will miss his story telling that he sometimes repeated but you listened.Regardless how many times you heard them.
Walt had a few hobbies that included photography, stamp and coin collecting, he raised pigeons with the boys and then tropical fish.The tropical fish tank soon became a store, Dave's Tropical Fish and was in the garage of the house.After retiring Dad compiled our "Family Tree".
He fished, camped, danced and bowled.He loved to listen to the "Polka Joe" show on Sundays after church.
A couple of things that are remembered of Walt was the bell that we rang so, no matter whose house you were at, we knew that it was supper time ..get home.When that bell rang the neighborhood kids would go to the street curb and wait with their money for the ding-ding man.When the street lights came on at night it was time to be home.Dad would tell people, "I count the first ten in and then shut the door!"
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