Paul W. Lewis was born on March 18, 1930, in Esbon, Jewel County, Kansas to Elmer and Daisy (Moore) Lewis. The second of five children, Paul spent most of his childhood days working on his dad’s farm. He graduated from Esbon High school in 1948. Paul worked in the Material Department of Burlington Northern Santa Fe for 3 months before joining the railroad permanently in 1951 as an apprentice. Later that year he went into the Army, serving in Germany for two years. There, he met Gertrud who he married in 1954. After his service, he and Gertrud moved to the Havelock area of Lincoln, Nebraska where he completed his apprenticeship at BNSF. He moved into the fabrication shop in 1961 where he worked as machine operator, relief foreman and pattern maker. Paul retired from the railroad on February 28, 1992. He spent most of his retirement years working in his garden, spoiling his three grandchildren and staying active in his church where he served as a deacon and bus driver.
Family members include his grandson and girlfriend, Michael Dondlinger and Monica Pettit; granddaughter and grandson-in-law, Julie (Dondlinger) and Benjamen Hennecke; grandson and granddaughter-in-law, Jared and Elizabeth (Snyder) Dondlinger; great grandchildren, Chase, Reed and Sage Hennecke; Keegan and Genevieve Dondlinger; bonus great granddaughter, Brianna Chrastil; Son-in-law, Mike Dondlinger and wife Kathleen, all of Lincoln, Nebraska. Also surviving are two of his brothers, LeRoy Lewis of Callaway, Nebraska and Robert and Dora Vee (Rollison) Lewis, of Aiken, South Carolina; many nieces and nephews. Preceded in death by his parents and wife; son, Ralph Lewis; daughter, Iris (Lewis) Dondlinger; brother, Gary Lewis; sister, Maxine (Lewis) Smith; and great granddaughter Aubrianna Hennecke.