Roger Dean Lauhead

Roger Dean Lauhead, age 75, of Wauneta, Nebraska died the week of April 6, 2022 at his home. He was born August 21, 1946 at Gosper County, Nebraska to Beryl & Elizabeth (Ford) Lauhead. Roger attended Elwood Public School and was very active in athletics. He excelled at track, basketball and football. He farmed south of Elwood for several years after graduating from Elwood High school in 1964. He went on to McCook Junior College, later obtaining his B.A. in Education from Kearney State College in 1971. For many years, Roger taught and farmed during the summer. He became a well-respected teacher and coach at Wauneta-Palisade School, starting in 1978. Even after his 2012 retirement, he continued as a substitute teacher until his death. Roger coached both the high school basketball teams for both the girls and boys. He coached the Broncos, the girls’ basketball team, to victory at the 1997 Nebraska State Basketball Class D championship. Roger’s former players and other coaches remember him as a disciplined, organized and strategic coach, who recognized and developed the potential of each of them to grow together as a team. He kept meticulous statistics of the players and the team, not only of his team but of the competing team players, in strategizing their game. He watched films of the games repeatedly, bringing his observations back to the teams for reinforcement and strategy play. His players and fellow coaches have carried his discipline and training into their own careers, which continue to this day. Roger was very interested in geneology and had traced his ancestors back hundreds of years. He often shared his latest finds on Facebook. He never missed a family reunion and made a point of connecting with family members, both local and visiting from out of state. Roger never married. He is survived by four sisters, Dorothy Naxera, Lois Lyons, Janet Ourada and Teresa Volcheck, two brothers, Allan Wylie and Richard Lauhead and several nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his mother, Elizabeth Nelson, and father Beryl Lauhead, and brothers Mark and Mike Nelson. There will be an open house/visitation on Wednesday, April 13, 2022 from 4 PM to 6 PM mountain time/5 PM to 7 PM central time at Wauneta-Palisade High School, 214 W. Wichita, Wauneta, Nebraska. Memorial services will be Thursday, April 14, 2022 at 1 PM at Elwood United Methodist Church in Elwood, Nebraska with Pastor Soonil Park, officiating. Inurnment will follow at Elwood Cemetery, Elwood, Nebraska. Elwood Funeral Home of Elwood, Nebraska is in charge of the arrangements. Condolences and personal reflections may be left at elwoodfuneralhome.com