Adam Staib

Adam Staib, age 85, of Stanton, Nebraska died Thursday, November 21, 2024, at Faith Regional Health Services in Norfolk.

Services will be held at a later date.

Home for Funerals in Norfolk is in charge of arrangements.

Adam Andrew Staib was born September 11th, 1939, in a stone house near Windsor, North Dakota to his parents Edward and Magdalena (Boetsch) Staib. Adam grew up on the family farm near Windsor and attended country school. He traveled with his dad on a few trips to Denver with the “Miracle Horses” horse show. In 1946, the family moved to the Madison area.

Adam was a graduate of Madison High School and attended the University of Nebraska at Lincoln. Upon leaving college, he was drafted into the US Army and was sent to Germany where he spent two years working on intelligence and encryption. After his honorable discharge Adam returned to Madison. He was a proud veteran who loved to talk about politics and could spend hours in conversation.

Adam was a master of language, a wordsmith who’s every written or spoken sentence was meticulously crafted, each phrase chosen with deliberate precision. With a sharp wit and a wry sense of humor, he weaved clever repartee into conversations, leaving no room for dull moments. His words would cut to the heart of a matter with both insight and playfulness, often tinged with a subtle irony that invites a smile or a raised eyebrow. In his presence, language became an art form, as he effortlessly blended intellect with a mischievous charm, turning ordinary discourse into something unexpectedly delightful.

Adam started a successful print shop (Quick Print) in the Sunset Plaza in Norfolk in the early 1970’s.  He began doing income tax work around the same time. He owned and operated Auditax Tax Preparation Service after leaving the printing business. Adam studied at the Naropa Institute in Boulder. Adam credits the time he spent at the Naropa Institute as one of the most transformative and influential chapters in his life!

In 1976, while building his income tax business, Adam met a young woman by the name of Rosalind Lamson.

“Roxie” as she was known in her early circle of friends, spent her early years working in the restaurant business in Norfolk and became a talented and creative chef.

Together, Roz and Adam conceived the idea of opening an upscale restaurant where the meals were prepared from organic, natural and locally sourced ingredients. The Uptown Restaurant opened in Norfolk in September of 1981. Under the management of Roz and Adam, The Uptown was unique and a progressive contribution to the City of Norfolk. Adam and Roz enhanced the community’s appreciation of fine wines, music, and art – including the artwork of John Lennon, and Claude Monet. The Uptown Ballroom was a venue for numerous events including weddings, plays, concerts, and the millennial New Year’s Eve party. The Uptown catered to and befriended numerous celebrities including Johnny Carson, Doc Severson, Arlo Guthrie, Alexander Payne, and the cast and crew of the film Nebraska, which was partially filmed at The Uptown in Stanton.

The Uptown hosted various special events such as the Irish festivals, Scotch tastings, and annual anniversary parties. Roz was a master at catering, and her food creations were featured at local events of all kinds. The Uptown’s Normandy Tomato Bisque (created from scratch by Roz) was literally world famous. Among the many honors, of Roz, Adam and the Uptown was Four Silver Spoons and Nebraska travel guides recommended the restaurant to both international and domestic travelers. One of Adam’s prize possessions was the guestbook that recorded visitors from every county in Nebraska, as well as, 40 states and 14 foreign countries.

The Uptown moved to Stanton in 2001, where Adam and Roz transformed the Uptown into a must-stop destination in Northeast Nebraska as they continued to draw a large following from all over Nebraska, Western Iowa and parts of Kansas. Adam worked behind the scenes as a marketing genius, while Roz was the heart and soul of The Uptown.

Roz and Adam were partners for 44 years and were married August 13, 2015.

The destructive Northeast Nebraska floods of March 2019 followed by the Covid shutdown in 2020 were extremely challenging for the restaurant. Roz and Adam were saddened to close the doors to The Uptown, however, they continued to serve their beloved clientele with pick up and curbside service.

Roz and Adam were given devastating news in late July 2020, in the form of a pancreatic cancer diagnosis and she passed away August 13th, 2020. Adam was heart-broken at the loss of his beloved Rosalind and permanently closed the Uptown at the end of 2020.

Adam was preceded in death by his wife, Rosalind Lamson; his parents; his brother, Bernie Staib; his sisters, Irene Spencer and Anne Gates; his brother, Eddie Staib; and his nephews, Ben Staib and Brett Staib.

Adam is survived by his oldest sister, Violet Bessey, 97, of Omaha; his nephews, David Gates of Napa California and Michael Gates of Denver Colorado; his nieces Bonnie Schulz of Battle Creek and JoAnne Zautke of Norfolk. JoAnne has looked after and cared for Adam since Rosalind’s death.

A Celebration of Life is planned for the Spring of 2025. 

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