A Celebration of Life for Bud Nation, 89, Lawrence, will be at 10:30 am Wednesday at Redeemer Lutheran Church, 27th & Lawrence Ave. A visitation will be held from 5-7 pm on Tuesday at Rumsey-Yost Funeral Home & Crematory.
Oscar C. “Bud” Nation was born on July 15, 1925, the seventh child of William and Pearl Nation. He grew up within four miles of Gore, Oklahoma on farms in that area. He attended a rural school named ‘Bailey’ later changed to Cedar Creek. He graduated from Gore High School and attended Kansas University.
He entered the Air Force and served at the 20th Air Force Headquarters on Guam and later transitioned to the 15th Air Force at Smoky Hill AFB in Salina, Kansas. He married Helen Wegner on September 26, 1948 at Great Bend, Kansas. He and Helen had three children, Debra, Barbara, and David. Debra presented them six grandchildren: Andrew Herren, Nathaniel Herren, Susannah Herren, Rebecca Herren, Laura Schmidt and Matthew Schmidt. Andrew & Kristin Herren presented two great-grandchildren, Adessa & Tylis. Susannah Carnegie presented five great-grandchildren, Malik, Rorie, Ariella, Zechariah, and Gabriella. Rebecca & John Carr presented three great-grandchildren, Jack, Ever, and Sun. Laura & David Friedberg presented great-grandchild Annistyn. Matthew & Alexandra Schmidt presented great-grandchild Gabriella. He was also survived by two sons-in-law, Tim Schmidt and Bruce Jackson.
Bud retired from Farmland Industries after more than 32 years of employment as the paymaster, which he greatly enjoyed. He enjoyed many years serving at Immanuel Lutheran Church in Lawrence as an officer and teacher. He held many offices in the Lutheran Laymen’s League at local, zone and district level. Bud was elected as president of the Kansas District Lutheran Laymen’s League on the same day as his own father was called to his eternal home in 1968.
He enjoyed announcing horse shows and held many roles in equestrian circles. He loved working with the children of the local Trail Riders Club. He enjoyed writing poems about his friends and relatives, short stories, and family genealogy along with the histories of the Douglas County Trailriders Club and the (former) Farmland Nitrogen Plant.
Bud coached little league baseball in the DCABA and Holcomb leagues, Sunflower Soccer and premier leagues. He once said he never met a child that he didn’t like, and was overjoyed when they began to call him “Grandpa”.
Bud would like to be remembered for the love of his Savior and his family, and by all of the many people in Church, Lutheran Laymen’s League, Equine world, and the boys and girls he coached in the many sports.
Bud was preceded in death by four sisters and two brothers. He says “Send no flowers for me for I won’t see them. Shed no tears for me, for I like smiles better. Do not tell me goodbye, but rather so long and plan to be with me later in Heaven.” He is overjoyed to be at last called HOME, to a place he longed for, for many years.
In lieu of flowers, memorials are suggested to Lutheran Hour Ministries, in care of Redeemer Lutheran Church, 2700 Lawrence Ave., Lawrence, KS, 66047.
