Roberta "Bertie" Sohrweid

Roberta Lee Maurer Sohrweid, age 91, was born July 26, 1935, in Genoa, Nebraska, and passed away on August 17, 2026. Roberta was strong in her faith and found it a special blessing to return actively to the church of her childhood, Augustana Lutheran Church in Genoa.

Roberta, known to close friends and family as “Bertie” and sometimes simply “Bird,” lived a life marked by love, generosity, curiosity, and a deep appreciation for beauty. She loved to laugh with friends and family, especially at the antics of her four brothers. She had a smart business mind and was particularly proud of the success she achieved through her study of investments and markets. She appreciated art, fashion, quality goods, and all things beautiful, including her family home and the improvements she made to the home and surrounding properties. She and her husband, Harold “Hal” Sohrweid, married in 1955, found great joy in the Rocky Mountains. Though both were flatlanders, they loved to snow ski, first owning condos in Vail and later in Beaver Creek. After Hal’s passing in 1997, Roberta reconnected with her junior high friend from Osceola, Gregg Eklund. Together, they greatly enjoyed senior retirement life, attending Husker football games and traveling between homes on the West Coast and in Nebraska.

An educator herself, Roberta valued education deeply and generously supported those seeking to improve their lives through learning. She graduated from Genoa High School in 1952, where she completed normal training to secure a position in a one-room schoolhouse. That same year, she was assigned to student teach under the tutelage of Miss Dorothy Ericson, who would soon marry Roberta’s brother Marv; the two young teachers became sisters-in-law. Roberta eventually enrolled full time at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln and later transferred to Western State Colorado University in Gunnison, where she earned her B.A. in 1964 and later her M.A., specializing in media science. She retired from Jefferson County Schools in Colorado after serving children for 38 years and teaching generations of students to love books.

Roberta is survived by her nieces and nephews, Carmen Maurer of Lincoln; Joel Maurer of Okemos, Michigan; Dan Maurer of Omaha; Wade Maurer of Vista, California; Barb Long of Holdrege; Steve Maurer of Atlanta; and Rick Maurer of Durango, Colorado and Troy Maurer of Cheyenne, Wyoming; Brother-in-law, Gary Sohrweid of Dallas; Sister-in-law, Elaine Sohrweid of Denver; Nieces Heidi (Sohrweid) Feichtinger of Denver; Lara Sohrweid of Denver; Michele (Sohrweid) O’Dell of Nashville; Tiffany (Sohrweid) Nayar of Dallas, as well as numerous great- and great-great-nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her husband, Harold Sohrweid; her parents, Edith (Stromberg) Maurer and Robert Fay Maurer; her brothers, Robert Duane, Richard Dean, Marvin Dale, and Phillip John; her niece, Paulette Maurer; her nephew, Kirk Maurer; Brother-in-law Larry Sohrweid; and Sister-in-law Nancy Sohrweid, and her special friend, Gregg Eklund.

Services will be held at Augustana Lutheran Church on Saturday, August 22, 2026, at 10:30 a.m. Family will receive friends from 9:30 am until service time. Interment is in Valley View Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to Twin River Public Schools for the enrichment of the Library and reading programs.