Columbus Chamber Announces 3 for Business Hall of Fame

COLUMBUS - The Columbus Area Chamber has announced three local leaders, who will be inducted into the 12th class of the Business Hall of Fame. Marie Froemel, Charles Wurdeman, and Bob Loshbaugh make up the 2017 class of honorees, says a press release. The chamber's annual awards banquet will be held on November 21st, and tickets cost $35 per person while corporate tables cost $300. Froemel is a Columbus native and CHS alum, and worked alongside her father in the family owned jewel store, Froemel Jewelry, says the release. After leaving for a short time to work at places including Chicago and Omaha, she returned to the family-owned store, where she held the position of Manager for 53 years. (Read her full story below). Wurdeman was an architect and builder in Columbus, and has left a legacy in the growth of Columbus building and houses, says the release. Wurdeman had his hand in building portions of St. Mary's Hospital, Platte County Courthouse, St. Bonaventure's expansion, St. Anthony's, Pawnee Park Stadium, the orignal BD Medical Building, and many more (which you can read about below). Loshbaugh was a local entrepreneur, who spent nearly 60 years, growing and developing the Columbus Sales Pavillion into the long standing, and far reaching operation that it is today, says the release. Loshbaugh also helped to develop the Columbus-Ramada, the Christopher Cove's Neighborhood, and served on the First National Bank Board of Directors for 27 years, (read more from the chamber below).

Marie Froemel 

Marie Froemel was a Columbus native and a graduate of Columbus High.  After graduation, she worked alongside her father in the family-owned jewelry store, Froemel Jewelry.  She worked for a jewelry wholesaler in Chicago, but found that lifestyle was not for her.  She then worked for an Omaha jeweler, Bordegaard Brothers.

   Marie was a pioneer and an independent person, and not just in business.  Marie homesteaded on 640 acres in northern Larimer County, Colorado in 1928.  Arriving in early spring, a late snowstorm forced her to abandon her truck and walk the final six miles to her property.  She lived in a tent and cooked outdoors while her cabin was constructed, much of the work Marie completing on her own.  To prove her homestead claim, she had to live on the ground seven months each year for three years.  The rest of the time she worked for her father in the jewelry store.

   She returned to become manager of Froemel Jewelry in 1932, a position she would hold for the next 53 years.  While in business she began diamond appraisal, gem identification, showcase and window design, and ring and jewelry design.  She learned these tools through correspondence courses with the Gemological Institute of America in Los Angeles.

   She was a member of the Nebraska and South Dakota Jewelers Association.  She served several terms as Secretary-Treasurer and upon her retirement was given lifetime membership in the organization.

   Marie was active in many civic organizations in Columbus as well.  She a Board member of the Columbus Friends of Music, President of the Columbus Camera Club, and others.  She often spoke to Columbus High students and other organizations.

   Marie contributed to the community, donating significant sums of money to the United Way, Columbus Public Library, her Church, and numerous other organizations without wanting any recognition.  In fact, when she died in 1995, her memorial gifts were key to the beginning of the local United Way endowment and Library Foundation.  She was awarded the “Legacy Award” by the Columbus Area Philanthropy Council in 2015 for her philanthropic giving in Columbus.

Charles Wurdeman

Charles Wurdeman was an architect and builder in Columbus.  He was born in Platte County and spent his life here.  In 1892 Charles took a vacation from carpentry to visit the Chicago World’s Fair.  While there he saw an architectural exhibit of the University of Illinois offering a two-year course.  Two years later, Charles enrolled and graduated in 1896.  He then put that education to work, leaving a lasting mark on Columbus, Platte County, and Nebraska.

   He began his career by designing homes and small schools, doing the carpentry work himself to stay in business.  Charles landed his first big job in 1902, St. Mary’s Hospital.  Reinforced concrete had not yet been invented, so Charles invented a method using crushed flint rock mixed with cement.  His formula was used in many of his later buildings and truly stood the test of time.

   Wurdeman left quite a legacy in the buildings of our community, including the Platte County Courthouse, St. Bonaventure’s expansion, St. Anthony’s, Pawnee Park stadium, the original BD Medical building, St. Luke’s Church, the YMCA, many of the Columbus Public ward schools, the Wize Buys building, Gottschalk House, and Evans House to name a few.

   Charles added his son Harold to the business in 1945, becoming Wurdeman & Wurdeman.  In 1959, the firm became Raymond H. Reed, Wurdeman & Associates and Charles entered semi-retirement.  He lived until 1961, passing away in his home on 23rd Avenue following an illness.  The firm he began continues today and still bears his initial, as RVW, Inc.

Robert Loshbaugh

 Robert Loshbaugh was a businessman and entrepreneur, whose industriousness as a child started a relationship that led to his life’s work.

   Bob was born in Columbus in 1921.  As a boy, Bob worked at the movie theater, sold shoes at Buck’s Bootiery, and served sodas at Tooley Drug.  But it was a job at Gembol’s gas station, just down the road from the Columbus Sales Pavilion, which first introduced Bob to Marion VanBerg and Marion’s daughter Eleanor.  Eleanor would become Bob’s wife and Marion would become a mentor and employer for Bob.

   Bob graduated from Kramer High in 1939 and decided to adventure to Los Angeles.  After World War II began, he enlisted in the Army Air Force and served in the Pacific theater.  Having married Eleanor during the war, Bob followed her wishes and returned to Columbus in 1946.

   March 1, 1946 was Bob’s first day on the job at the Columbus Sales Pavilion, working for Eleanor’s dad Marion.  He admitted later that he didn’t know what he was doing and he had a boss that wanted him to learn by trial and error…and he made plenty of both.

   As Marion VanBerg continued to become interested in racing thoroughbreds, Bob’s role in the Sales Pavilion continued to grow.  He began travelling to other markets and while driving taught himself to auctioneer.  In fact, he drove up to 60,000 miles per year, so he got lots of practice and Bob’s call of the auctions at the Columbus Sales Pavilion became a familiar sound for decades.

   As the travel increased, Bob got his pilot’s license in 1946.   With the increased mobility, be began making deals with cattlemen as far away as Canada and Mexico, expanding the footprint of the local sale barn.  Montana became a region of particular focus for Bob.  He spent many days in the state trying to convince cattlemen to sell in Columbus, without much success.  Never one to give up, in 1950 Bob bought the cattle himself and sold them in Columbus.  After two years of positive results, several Montana cattlemen were convinced and a tradition was born.  The Montana sale became so big that Bob contracted a 25-car Union Pacific train to make the 28-hour non-stop trip to Columbus, getting cattle to the sale before they lost weight from fatigue.

   Bob foresaw the concentration of the livestock business and so made improvements to the facility and operation to ensure that the Columbus Sales Pavilion would be one of the survivors.  He also made arrangements to pass the business to the next generation of the family, bringing grandson Travis Bock into the operation.  When Bob died in 2004, he had worked nearly 60 years at the Columbus Sales Pavilion.

   The entrepreneurial spirit from Bob’s youth remained evident throughout his life.  In addition to growing the sale barn, Bob was integral in the development of three Columbus hotels, including the current Ramada-Columbus.  He led the development of the Christopher’s Cove neighborhood.  He served on the Board of Directors of First National Bank for 27 years, until the day of his death.

   Bob was a member of the VFW and American Legion, the Elks Country Club, the Livestock Marketing Association and the Southwest Montano Marketing Association.

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