Craig Forster

Funeral Services for Craig Forster will be conducted from the St. Paul's Lutheran Church at Bertrand, Nebraska on Friday, January 13, 2017 at 11:00 a.m. with Pastor Wes Hafner, officiating.  Interment will be in the Fairfield Cemetery in Gosper County, Nebraska following a fellowship at the church.

Craig Verlouis Forster, 62 years of age, of rural Elwood, Nebraska, passed away on Sunday, January 8, 2017 at his home southwest of Smithfield.  Craig was born April 11, 1954 at Lexington, Nebraska, the eldest of six children of Verlouis G. and Shirley E. (Ball) Forster.  He was baptized and confirmed at the St. Paul's Lutheran Church.  He received his education at the Bertrand Community School, graduating from Bertrand High School with the class of 1972.  While in high school, Craig took part in football, was a State high school wrestling qualifier and medaled several years.  He was also active in 4-H and Junior Livestock events.

Following his education, Craig pursued his lifelong passion of farming with his father and brothers.  Craig eventually purchased a farm on his own and in recent years worked side-by-side with his son, Nigel, brothers and father.  Farming was deep in his roots, he loved to bale hay, and a Case IH man. Craig had a special place in his heart for his Red Heeler dogs, enjoyed hunting deer, and his boys remember Dad being able to catch a live rattle snake with his bare hands.  He also raised Simmental cattle with the family.

Craig was a kind hearted man of his word, who would never pass judgement on anyone.  After a feature article in the Bertrand Herald of Forster Farms by a young lady who was a newspaper reporter for her parents' publication, Craig met his future wife, Ann Engle.  On December 6, 1981 the couple were united in marriage.  To this union two sons and a daughter were born:  Leif, Emerald and Nigel.  The family made their home on the farm southwest of Smithfield, where Craig resided until his passing.

Craig was preceded in death by his mother, Shirley Forster; grandparents: George and Anna Forster, Kenneth Ball, Ralph and Ethel Forster, David and Ammie Ball and August and Clara Breitling; brother, Boyd G. Forster and sister-in-law, Sharon Forster.

He leaves to celebrate his life; his wife, Ann Forster; father, Verlouis Forster and his wife, Darlene of rural Smithfield; grandmother, Ethel Ball of Bertrand; father-in-law and mother-in-law:  Robert and Genevieve Engle of Bertrand; two sons:  Leif Forster of Hastings, Nebraska and Nigel Forster of rural Elwood; daughter, Emerald Fiedler and her husband, Samuel of Ft. Walton Beach, Florida; four grandchildren:  Grayden and Trace Forster and Gabriel and Bobeck Fiedler; his siblings:  Melanie Ayres and her husband, Gary of Seward, Nebraska, Tamara Eitel and her husband, Ed of Lusk, Wyoming, Kevin Forster and his wife, Kim of Smithfield, and Alan Forster and his wife, Becky of Loomis, Nebraska; step-siblings:  Jim Davis and his wife, Lisa of Denver, Colorado and Ginny Harshbarger and her husband, Bill of Eddyville, Nebraska; sisters-in-law:  Susan Johnson and her husband, Bryce of Durand, Wisconsin and Gale Engle of Lincoln; brothers-in-law:  Bruce Engle and his wife, Ruth of Rochester, Minnesota, Mark Engle and his wife, Debra of Menomonie, Wisconsin, and Peter Engle and his wife, Paige of Milwaukee, Wisconsin; and a host of nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends.

Visitation will be held on Thursday, January 12, 2017 from 4:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. with the family greeting from 6:00 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. at the Nelson-Bauer Funeral Home in Holdrege.

A memorial has been established in Craig's honor and will be designated at a later date.

Expressions of caring and kindness can be sent to the family at www.nelsonbauerfh.com

The Nelson-Bauer Funeral Home in Holdrege is in charge of arrangements.