Verne and Erma Lewellen Family Endowment - Hay Springs, Rushville and Gordon

Eligibility: All
Area of Interest: Athletic

Criteria:

The recipient shall be a student athlete from Hay Springs, Rushville or Gordon, NE.

Verne Lewellen, from Minatare, graduated from Chadron State in 1950, Colorado State University with a Master’s in Education, and from University of Wyoming in 1973 with an Education Specialist degree. Verne coached all sports and taught social studies and physical education at Hay Springs for three years, coached basketball at Chadron High School for 7 years. His record was 123-55 including a State Championship in 1961. He also assisted football and track. He was a junior high principal for two years after giving up coaching. Verne was the superintendent at Rushville for five years and eighteen years at Mitchell in the same capacity. He retired in 1986 and received Chadron States' Distinguished Service Award in 1988. Erma is a graduate of Table Rock High, the daughter of Carl and Vergie Gold in Chadron where her dad was a barber and part time rancher. Erma worked at Ross Transfer. She has been very active in Special Olympics. She was elected to the Nebraska Special Olympics hall of fame as a coach in 1981.