The Superior Express -

Lyle W. Trautman, 65, was born to Marlen Lester Trautman and Verdina Annabelle (Shepherd) Trautman in Pueblo, Colo., on Jan. 27, 1956. After a brief illness, he died at his Hoskins home, with his wife, Jacalyn, by his side.

Lyle attended school in Pueblo, Colo., Reno, Nev., and Hardy, before graduating with the Class of 1975, from Superior High School. He was married to Jacalyn Mohler on Aug. 21, 1975 in Portis, Kan. To this union, three sons were born. At the time of his death, he was working as an electronic technician at Tyson Fresh Meats in Madison. Lyle lived most of his formative years in Pueblo, Colo. He fought back and survived the bullies, which resulted in him becoming an excellent streetfighter and survivalist. By age 12, he was digging trenches for plumbers in rocky Colorado. When life in the city grew more dangerous, his parents chose to move to quiet Hardy, where the family purchased an acreage. There, Lyle lived a fulfilling farm life. He worked alongside his dad, learning and performing all the typical country farm chores necessary to keep the operation running smoothly. He worked after school and in the summer months as a painter at Reinke Manufacturing. He had the opportunity to also learn about horsemanship from Grandpa Shepherd and more about farming from Great Uncle Virgil Hall.

He was an excellent athlete, who never shied away from a challenge. He took second place in the Colorado High School State Wrestling Championship for his weight class. In high school, he was a dedicated member of four championship football teams. He was also gifted in boxing, archery, baseball and bowling. Whatever the sport, he never backed down! A broken ankle, however, canceled his senior year of wrestling and thus began a nearly 50-year career journey at various meat processing plants.

The closure of The Dubuque Packing Company in Mankato, Kan., led to a move to Hoskins, Neb., to transfer his work to the Norfolk DuPaCo. He advanced his career from cleanup to supervisor, then legger, to maintenance mechanic, to maintenance supervisor. Most recently he worked as an electronic technician at Tyson Fresh Meats in Madison. Whatever the task, he conquered it, everything from "clean-up" to maintenance supervision. He was a "legger" on the kill floor and worked two shifts in order to obtain a role in maintenance. His natural leadership abilities gave him the opportunity to become a supervisor before the age of 21. Throughout his career, many young men looked up to him as both a mentor and father figure. He outlasted four meat plant closures; every time, it meant starting all over again, yet he never wavered in his dedication as a provider in his chosen career. He never shied away from hard work and believed it was an opportunity for "on-the-job training." He had no time to pause for tech school, as he always felt the need to be working in order to support his growing family. In his 'spare time,' he found ways to provide. He was a fur trapper in the bitter cold to gain extra income. His hands and feet bore the scars that testified to the dependable, diligent, hard work he performed daily for more than 50 years.

Lyle's mother instilled the Love of Christ in him from a babe; he grew up in the church, accepting Christ as his Savior as a teen. As an adult, he attended Heartland Baptist Church of Norfolk and was baptized by Pastor Tim Fleener. No matter the mess or life challenge he encountered, Jesus was there to guide him, like a wandering sheep, back to the path. Lyle testified often of being a witness to the love that was shown to him by Jesus Christ. He knew Christ in an intimate way, that only being washed by the sinless Blood of Jesus Christ can produce.

Lyle liked to fish, hunt and trap. His "therapy" was riding his motorcycle. His greatest joy was the 12 grandchildren. He was a devoted Grandpa, who was ornery and fun, but never boring or mean. Lyle always had a kind word of encouragement. He expressed his appreciation and love on a daily basis. He was simple, humble, and never judged or complained. He was hard, yet soft; firm, but kind. He survived near-drownings in frozen rivers, electrocution, man-eating machinery, at least four motor vehicle accidents and even cancer. Ultimately, riddled with injuries from the life he had lived caused his rise to glory in a time when the world was stricken with hardship.

Lyle is survived by his wife, Jacalyn; sons and their families: Trenton (Laura) Trautman of St. Edward and their children: Jason (Anna Stineman) Trautman of Broken Bow and Torie Trautman (Devin Burke); and great-grandchildren Cambria and Bjorn of Burbank, Wash., Levi (Andrea) Trautman and their children: Graycen, Ashlyn, Brooklyn, and Logan of Wakefield, Nathan (Nicole) Trautman and their sons: Fayte, Bastian, and Archer of Newman Grove; brother, Loren Trautman of Newman Grove; sisters-in-law: Verna (Ron) Nott of Canon City, Colo., and Jocelyn (Steven) Shroyer of Superior; and brother-in-law, Wendell (Susan) Mohler of Pikeville, Tenn.

Lyle was preceded in death by parents, Marlen (Bud) and Verdina Trautman; sister, Lyndall Disney; brother, Marlin Trautman; granddaughter, Lauryn Trautman; parents-in-law, Vernon and Mary Jane Mohler.

For his immediate family, his death was quite unexpected and devastating.