Junior C. Deitloff

Funeral services for Junior C. Deitloff, age 89, of Norfolk, Nebraska will be 10:30 a.m. Friday, January 17, 2025, at Home for Funerals Chapel, 708 Georgia Avenue, in Norfolk. Reverend Michael Moreno will officiate, with burial in St. Paul’s Cemetery in Norfolk. 

The service will be livestreamed on the funeral home website.

Visitation will be Thursday from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. at the chapel.

Home for Funerals in Norfolk is in charge of arrangements.

Junior passed away Thursday, January 9, 2025, at Arbor Care Center – Countryside in Madison, Nebraska. 

Junior Carl Deitloff was born to Ernest and Mary (Hellmers) Deitloff on June 30, 1935. He attended school through the eighth grade at District 87 (which all seven of his future children would also attend). He learned the trades of bricklaying and carpentry. Junior worked with his father building houses in the Norfolk area with Deitloff and Sons.

Junior married Alvina Riedel from Pierce on May 8, 1955, at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Norfolk. Together they made a home in the same house that Junior lived in since the age of four. They became members of Mt. Olive Lutheran Church in 1957, where five of his children were baptized, all seven were confirmed, two were married, and the couple celebrated their 45th wedding anniversary. Before losing his voice to cancer in 1988, Junior was very active in the church.

At the age of 25, Junior found employment with Beckenhauer Brothers Construction. He held a supervisory position for most of the 37 years he worked with the company. Junior became an expert carpenter and master craftsman, which enabled him to renovate and update his childhood home to accommodate his growing family. His God given talents and skills were put to great use, not only on the job sites, but also in helping the church, his grown children and grandchildren. Whatever needed building or repairing he was there, gracefully giving of his time and never expecting pay for his labor. His passions in life were providing for his family and making sure the job sites were safe for his crews.

For over 25 years, Junior and his wife grew produce to feed his family and sell at the local Farmers Market, Jr’s Garden and Mrs. Jr’s Crafts.

Junior was also a weekend farmer. Partnering with his eldest brother, he farmed their land on his days off.

Some of Junior’s greatest pleasures were dancing with his wife and teaching all his children to dance, building structures that would withstand the test of time, and growing his own food.

After retiring, Junior and his wife traveled around the country in their 5th wheel camper.

Junior is survived by his wife of 69 years, Alvina; sister, Lou Jean (Ron) Ferris of Austin, TX; son, Lonnie (Gera) Deitloff of Norfolk; daughters, Bonnie Herrick of Wisner, Connie (Keith) Donner of Madison, Vonnie (Tony) Benson of Cheyenne, WY, Karla (Jeff) Jarvis of Toney, AL, Kristy (Joe) Schmidt of Macy, and Marcia (Ken) Kinning of Ceresco; 12 grandchildren; 30 great-grandchildren; and two great-great-grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by his parents; stepfather, Ervin Ave; two brothers, Norbert and Ervin; two sisters, Esther Brown and LaVetta Kesting; son-in-law, Stan Herrick; grandson, Michael Schmidt; and granddaughter in infancy, LaTonya Benson.

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