Fischer Family Hall of Fame Award
| Premise:
Strong family principles represent much of the basis for high school athletics and is
hoped current school programs may benefit from an annual example of what a family
accomplished. The family of Joe and Viola Fischer, orginally from the St. Edward area, consists of six boys and three girls: Cletus, Ken, Rex, Jack, Pat, Jerry, Bernadine, Joan and Donafae. The values exhibited by the Fischer family and their many and varied contributions to high school sports in the 1940's & 1950's, and into the college, professional and coaching ranks, are symbolic of the Nebraska High School Hall of Fame's ideals. The Fischers and their contribution to sports is one of the top achievements in Nebraska sports in the 20th century..Click here for a picture & more about the Fischers. An annual award, starting with the 1999 banquet. The Syracuse Nannens' were the first recipient. To be based on efforts of several members of the same family, to include one, two even three generations. Emphasis should be on the athletics prowess of the family, but can also be tied to coaching, officiating and making over-all contributions to high school sports. Suggested nomination form can be found by clicking on the following: Fischer Family Award Nomination Form. |
2006 The boys starred at Wolbach, with Edsel’s discus achievements bringing his
induction into the Nebraska High School Sports Hall of Fame. They were all
four-year standouts in football and track. After high school, Leonard signed a
pro baseball contract and played in the St. Louis Cardinals’ farm system. Ray
played semipro baseball. Mel added all-conference basketball to his high school
exploits. Their families spread beyond Wolbach and continued to excel in sports.
All told, Algie and Lollie had 22 grandchilden in high school and college
athletics, 26 great-grandchildren and two great-great-grandchildren. They
branched beyond the track-football concentration, also being involved in
basketball, golf, gymnastics, softball, volleyball, soccer and baseball, not to
forget Meredith McDaniel’s letter on the crew team at Georgetown University in
1993.
Leon and Mayme Dostal family of Scribner
|
1999 Selection: Raymond played four years
of basketball and was a member of Hallam's 1925 Class F State Championship Team.Margaret
Nannen played basketball for three years at Sprague-Martell. |
|
2000 Selection: The family of Richard and Lois May has been contributing to Nebraska's sports heritage for three generations. Richard was a three sport athlete in high school placing third in the 880 at the 1935 State Track Meet. After high school, he played semipro baseball, officiated high school basketball and coached summer league baseball. Lois was the familys head cheerleader and chief laundry handler of team uniforms. Sons Kent, Kim, Kent and Rocky picked up the pace during their high school careers, all playing for Hayes Center High School. Their children have continued the three-sport barrage. |
|
| 2001
Selection Family of Earl and Lenore Thorell, LOOMIS Click here for more about the Thorells. Loomis was where Earl and Lenore Thorell raised their family. Sons Stuart, Jim, Charlie and Dennis and daughter Gloria didn't just stop with being good athletes. They all went into high school coaching, passing along all the positive points they received from high school sports on to generation after generation. When inducted, the kids had a total of 133 years in the coaching profession. |
|
Bob & Lorraine Schnitzler and their family became a legend in Battle Creek. Bob was coach and athletic director. His football, girls basketball and track teams won13 state championships. Their six children all were outstanding three-sport athletes in high school lettering all four years, all received All-State recognition and all have college degrees with five participating in sports in college
2003
Selection
The
Chester and Ruth Bailey
Family of Schuyler.
Chester and Ruth Bailey had four sons — Keith, Gary, Don, and Steve — who gave years of time and dedication to the student athletes of Nebraska and Iowa. The brothers are graduates of Schuyler High School and attended either Wayne or Midland where they received their degrees and launched careers in the teaching and coaching profession. By the time their coaching careers ended in 1999 they had a total of 117 years of directing the athletic endeavors of high school athletes. In 1978 Gary and Don became the first brothers to coach in Nebraska Class A schools at the same time. Keith added to the big-school coaching family when he took the head job at Ames (Iowa) Central. Click here for more about the Baileys.
2004 Selection:
Bertrand's LeRoy and
Patricia Hoehner;
Children Kyle, Kelly, Chris and Carrie; and grandchildren.
Back in mid-1950's, collegian LeRoy Hoehner, a star athlete at McCook Junior College, fell in love with the head cheerleader. LeRoy and Patricia later married and together raised a family which stands for everything good in high school activities.
Click here for more about the Hoehners..
