Remembering the Past and Looking to the Future
Story: Amy Crawford
Photos: Courtesty of the Eickmeier Family and Concordia Nebraska marketing
Jerry Eickmeier ’71 and his wife Mary Ann proudly support Concordia Nebraska to honor Jerry’s many ties to the university as well as to equip current students to serve others.
Jerry Eickmeier ’71 said he doesn’t remember a time when Concordia University, Nebraska wasn’t part of his life. He grew up in Staplehurst, Nebraska, less than 10 miles from Seward and frequently attended Bulldog basketball games. He recalls visiting campus for a Harlem Magicians game when he was about nine years old. He also remembers being in awe of Concordia basketball coach Robert Baden.
“I loved coming to campus and watching the different teams play,” he said. "Those are the kinds of memories I will never forget. This is just really a special place.”
Jerry was one in a class of 10 at Immanuel Lutheran School in Staplehurst, where he had Concordia’s own Dr. Bill Preuss ’60 as a grade school teacher.
“He is probably the main reason I ended up at Concordia Nebraska. He truly inspired me to be a teacher,” said Jerry. “It also didn’t hurt that Bob Baden tried to recruit a few of us to play basketball.”
Jerry’s high school years were marked by poignant memories of the Cold War’s impact on the greater Seward area. He vividly remembers the transport of missiles through the area during that time as well as the shock of the assassination of President John F. Kennedy and how that tragedy impacted him and his classmates. He attended Concordia during the Vietnam War, when more than 1,700 students were on the Seward campus, with about 250 of those being high school students.
Jerry studied math, theology and education at Concordia and has a bachelor’s degree from the university. He also has a master’s degree from Indiana University. His first teaching role was in a Lutheran school in Columbus, Indiana, and there he met his beloved wife, Mary Ann. She, he noted with a saucy grin, attended Concordia University Chicago. The couple moved back to Seward in 1977.
“My folks were getting up in age. It was time to move back. I got involved in the student teaching program and taught in the public school here from 1977 to 2009,” he said. “Through it all, we always had a lot of ties with Concordia over the years.”
The Eickmeiers have two sons: Josh is the mayor of Seward. He was elected in 2010 and will complete his fourth term in 2026. Hans ’99 teaches math in Seward Public Schools.
“Josh really likes politics and studied political science. At one point, he was in Iowa for the primaries…a little fish in a big pond. I asked him if he’d rather be a big fish in a small pond,” chuckled Jerry. “He decided to return home to serve the community he loves. And Hans serves here as a teacher. We love to give back to the community that means so much to us.”
Again and again, Jerry reiterated the uniqueness of Concordia’s community, education and faith focus.
“There are just so many tremendous people here,” he said. “It’s amazing how you get to know people, they become family, you stay in touch with them. I bet I had almost 20 student teachers from Concordia teach in my classroom at Seward Middle School over the years, and I’m still in touch with many of them.”
The Eickmeiers are members of Concordia Nebraska’s Weller Society for Leadership, which recognizes individuals and families who commit to giving $1,500 or more annually to the Concordia Fund. These faithful stewards are essential to the university’s mission, leading the way in ensuring the university's impact remains strong and far-reaching. Jerry said it was an easy decision for he and Mary Ann to financially support the university.
“Just look at the product….the quality of the students. I cannot say enough,” said Jerry. “The track coach [Matt Beisel ’92] is a former student of mine, and he went to school with my son. He’s a terrific individual. The coaches are always looking for ways for their kids to serve the community. The education here is outstanding. Kids are being trained to serve the church, to serve their communities. There’s just not another place like this.”
“This place prepared me well for teaching,” he added. “The future is so important. As we’re training these kids, they’re learning to serve in these vocations and also how to care for their neighbors…the elderly, the poor. Those values are being instilled in these kids, and they will go out in their vocations and serve others.”
Jerry said he and Mary Ann benefited from that servant-hearted approach in August 2025 when student-athletes helped Seward residents clean up yards, homes and streets following a major storm that downed trees and knocked out power for many in the area.
We don’t have a lot of money, but we are so happy to support something that has been here for a long time. The university plays an important role in the community and in the lives of so many of us. That connection is so important, and I hope the university is here for a long time to come. I am happy to be part of making that happen.
“That giving spirit says a lot about the people we have here,” said Jerry. “I think Concordia’s future is so bright right now because not only is this place training fantastic teachers, they’re also training people for many other vocations. You can see the results of the dollars people donate when you look at the students who leave here. Consider all that they accomplish! I feel like our whole community is really involved with the university and wants to see it be successful. I’m happy to be a small part of that.”
Jerry wistfully thinks about years gone by and past Concordia professors that have passed away.
“There are so many great professors and staff that once served here. Many of them were my dear friends,” he said. “But there are great folks now too, and so many great students. When Hans was in school here, we had kids in our house all the time. We fed kids from all over. But that’s what you do. We’re a community, and we take care of each other.”
“There’s a caring here that is not just student-to-student but also faculty-to-student. There’s just nothing else like it,” he added. “The community pulls together both when horrible things happen and when there is reason to rejoice. Every day when you come to chapel, it is full. What joy!”
The Eickmeiers have participated in the university’s periodic alumni reunions and have traveled with Concordia’s Bulldogs on the Road alumni trips, visiting Alaska in 2022 and the Mediterranean in 2024. He said he and Mary Ann enjoy Bulldog volleyball games, football games and basketball games.
“I just have such a good feeling about Concordia,” he said. “I don’t think we want it to get too big, but I want it to grow and flourish. Concordia does so many things well right now. We don’t have a lot of money, but we are so happy to support something that has been here for a long time. The university plays an important role in the community and in the lives of so many of us. That connection is so important, and I hope the university is here for a long time to come. I am happy to be part of making that happen.”