William "Bill" E. von Kampen

William Edward von Kampen (Bill) was born on October 27th, 1929 in Hastings, NE.  He was the oldest of three children born to Margaret and Edward von Kampen.  He and his siblings, Mary Ann and Ted, were baptized and confirmed at Zion Lutheran Church in Hastings. He attended grade school at Zion Lutheran and then went to Hastings High School.  

He worked at Lux grocery store as a stock boy and later as a butcher’s assistant to earn money for college. He paid his way first through Hastings College, and then through the engineering program at UNL.  He found math easy, and said getting his Mechanical Engineering degree “was a snap.”  While in both high school and college he enjoyed singing in choirs, and helped form a choir at the Lutheran Student Congregation that was connected to the Walther League at that time. 

After Bill graduated from UNL he accepted a job offer from General Motors in Detroit. He had several options, but chose GM because they were designing and building cars.  When he accepted the job, he told GM that he was likely to be drafted, and shortly after he started work, he was.  After basic training at Fort Riley, Kansas, he was sent to Denver where he worked on statistical quality control.  

When he left the army, he returned to Detroit and worked for Chevrolet Engineering at the Holbrook labs.  He did a variety of engineering jobs over the years, and was eventually the Assistant Chief Engineer for Chassis and Powertrain on several models.  He retired in 1992. 

His love for singing ended up introducing him to Paula Sachtleben, a teacher who had moved to Mt. Clemens, MI and joined Trinity Lutheran Church, where Bill attended. They met singing in the church choir, married on June 21st, 1958, and together set about building a strong and loving marriage that lasted for 58 years.  They welcomed their daughter Susan on June 26th, 1959, and their son Kurt on July 12th, 1960, and raised their family in Mt. Clemens, MI.  They were longtime members of Trinity Lutheran, and were supporters of Lutheran High Schools in the Detroit area.  Bill and Paula liked to travel, visiting all but three of the 50 states together, as well as Germany and the Virgin Islands. Bill took pleasure in photographing their travels. They enjoyed each other’s company and had many dear friends. 

After his retirement, Bill and Paula moved to Brighton, Michigan, then to Seward, Nebraska, and finally settled full time in their favorite winter escape, Arizona.  Bill was a devoted husband, and supported Paula with quiet strength throughout her battle with cancer. After Paula’s death, Bill returned to Seward, Nebraska.  

Bill leaves his grandchildren with many good memories of his calm and gentle manner, and his love of detailed explanations–often including diagrams drawn on a handy napkin. He spent time with them at parks, zoos, and on countless restaurant outings. They will remember him following behind them with a mini-vacuum in their younger years, playing cards and cribbage, and building several decks that were used often for family gatherings.  

Bill is survived by his son, Kurt (Dory) von Kampen, Seward, Nebraska; his son-in-law, Vern Pearce, Chandler, Arizona; sister-in law, Lorrie von Kampen, Scottsbluff, Nebraska; grandchildren, Nicole (Bryan) Pearce, Mesa, Arizona; Ben (Alicia) Pearce, Peoria, Arizona; Stephanie (T.J. Ellerbeck) Pearce, Salt Lake City, Utah; Zachary Pearce (Klarisa Casao), Casa Grande, Arizona; David (Mollie) von Kampen, Lincoln, Nebraska; Paul (Kathleen) von Kampen, White Bear Lake, Minnesota; Rachel (Kale) Wright, Kearney, Nebraska; Andrea (Brett Shaw) von Kampen, Lincoln, Nebraska; great grandchildren, Sophia, Ozias, and Marvel Pearce; Gretta, Willa, and Thea von Kampen; Jameson and Bennett von Kampen; Heath and Hattie Wright; and many beloved nieces and nephews. 

Bill was preceded in death by his parents, Edward and Margaret von Kampen; wife, Paula Emily von Kampen; daughter, Susan Elinor Pearce; sister, Mary Ann Steinkruger; brother, Theodore von Kampen; brothers-in-law, Carl Sachtleben, Hilbert List, Al Mandle, Neal Steinkruger; sisters-in-law, Helen Schmidt, Rose List, Esther Mandle.

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