His family moved to Columbus in 1941. After graduating from Columbus High School in 1951, Ralph served in the US Air Force from 1952 through 1956 and was stationed in Germany, Switzerland, and Italy.
Following his service, he studied photography in Columbus, NE and later opened his own photography studio in Schuyler, NE. A very talented photographer, he was recognized by Professional Photographers of Nebraska as one of the Top 10 Nebraska Photographers for five consecutive years in the 1960s and served as the organization’s president 1972-1973. He also was named Nebraska State Photographer in 1971.
Ralph married Lucille (Podany) in Schuyler, NE in 1953. They were blessed with three children Diana, Linda, and Thomas. After Lucille’s passing in 1975, Ralph married Joan (Lewis) in Schuyler in 1976. In the coming years, the family was blessed with two more children, David and Cindy.
In 2011 Ralph married, Ardiss (Hynes) (Cederholm) who passed in 2013. During their time together, they shared a love of photography and enjoyed capturing and comparing their distinct artistic perspective during nature outings.
Always finding a creative outlet, Ralph excelled at a myriad of hobbies such as chip carving, whittling figurines, and bee keeping. He is best known for his masterful woodworking and his shop was a favorite spot. He created beautiful furniture from grandfather clocks, to chests, cabinets, and children’s chairs. His model cars, trucks, and tractors featured exacting detail. He won multiple awards at the Nebraska State Fair for his intricate wooden bowls. He delighted his grandchildren with handmade treasures to match their interests, such as bug boxes, piggy banks, and chessboards.
Also adventurous, Ralph held a pilot license in the 1970s and enjoyed flying a Cessna. In his early 70s, Ralph bought a Harley and proudly rode it about town into his 90s. In his 80s, Ralph embraced the exhilaration of skydiving.
Ralph is survived by siblings Ted Pfeifer and Julie Holst; children Diana (Gary) Lacy, Linda (Chuck) Schmidt, Thomas Pfeifer, David Pfeifer, Cindy (Jamie) Jerabek; grandchildren Ben (Jessica) Lacy, Amanda (Nate) Krajnik, Adam Schmidt, Nathan (Katrina) Schmidt, Jaime (Cody) Bernardo, Emily Pfeifer, John Pfeifer, Sean Pfeifer, Brooke Pfeifer, Avery Jerabek, and Paxton Jerabek; great grandchildren Alaina Lacy, Anthony Lacy, Izzy Lacy, Christopher Krajnik, Havillynn Oudeman, Ryan Schmidt, Lana Schmidt, Nora Schmidt, Daphne Bernardo, Cooper Bernardo; his former spouse and enduring friend Joan Lewis; sister-in-law Judy Pfeifer; and daughter-in-law Therese Maher.
He was preceded in death by his parents; first wife Lucille Pfeifer; wife Ardis Pfeifer; and his sister Annie Waddell.
Funeral services will be held 10 am Friday, November 22, 2024, St. Mark’s United Methodist Church, 8550 Pioneers Blvd. A private family interment will follow Saturday in Schuyler.