Alfred Wayne Cornelius “Sarge”, 95, of Fremont passed away peacefully in his home on Saturday, Sept 30, 2023.
Wayne was born Arlington to Nels and Jessie Cornelius on Oct. 7, 1927. He married Hannah Thimsen on Oct. 28, 1950, in Fremont. He was a devoted caregiver to his wife for 10 years prior to her death in 2019.
He was an extremely proud Marine Veteran he served during the Korean War era. You would often see him with his Marine cap on while going on a walk around town or out for breakfast with his son-in-law Tom in the morning.
Wayne was known for his wicked sense of humor and his entertaining, often exaggerated, stories. He could fix or build just about anything. He loved talking about his family, cars, barn dances and the places he lived during his life. He was an incredibly hard worker and prided himself on providing for his family. He was an amazing father, grandfather, and “Old Papa.”
Wayne was preceded in death by his parents Nels and Jessie; his beloved wife Hannah; his children Deborah, Edward and Mary; and grandson Graham Neary; his brothers Jim and Elmer Cornelius; and his sisters Marion Nelson, Dorothy Bednarz and Maxine Richter.
He is survived by: his baby sister Jessie Ann Waterman of Omaha; his children Tresa Sewick (Thomas, MSG (retired) of Fremont, Rhonda Fisher (Preston) and Robin Wojcik (Joseph), both of Durango, Colorado, Brenda Cornelius (William Weisert) of St. Paul, Minnesota and Wayne Cornelius of Phoenix, Arizona; 16 grandchildren; 32 great-grandchildren and 2 great-great grandchildren.
At Wayne’s request, there will be no funeral or memorial service. Instead, he asked that friends and loved ones enjoy a glass of scotch, at their own expense.
