Charles Arthur Steiner (May 21,1931 – October 23, 2021) was born in Pawnee City, Nebraska, but was raised in the small town of Odell, Nebraska just 20 miles south of Beatrice, Nebraska.  At the age of 19, in December of 1950, he joined the United States Air Force.  He served two of his four years in Japan during the Korean war.  He was an aircraft maintenance crew chief, primarily keeping our C-46 cargo airplanes in the air.  After an honorable discharge in December of 1954, staff sergeant Charles Steiner returned to Odell.

He enjoyed working on airplanes while in the service and decided he wanted to make that his life’s career.  In 1956 he moved to Tulsa, Oklahoma, where he attended “Spartan School of Aeronautics”.  He graduated with an Associate’s degree as a FAA licensed air frame and power plant (A&P) mechanic.  He later also became a licensed FAA airframe inspector (A&I).  While in Tulsa he met Dana Lou Benner in 1956 and they were married on August 9, 1958.  On August 9, 2021 they celebrated 63 years together.

After his graduation from Spartan, they moved to Omaha, Nebraska where he started work for “Northern Natural Gas Company” (NNG) in their corporate aviation maintenance department.  “NNG” later became “Enron”.  In 1987, Enron moved the company headquarters to Houston, Texas.  At that time, after 30 years with NNG/Enron, at the age of 56, he took an “early retirement” and remained in the Omaha area.

In 1971 he moved his family to Gretna, Nebraska where he remained until his passing.  After retiring from Enron, Charles became a hay farmer, cutting and bailing small square bales for horse people until 2015.  He continued to cut and rake hay until 2020.  At 89 years old – he finally parked his tractor for good.  For 14 years during their “retirement” each January and February Charles and Dana enjoyed being snowbirds in their 5^th wheel RV.

Charles lifetime loves have been work, family, volunteering at his church and helping others.  He and Dana have two sons, Milt and Dan.  Milt married Melissa Gibson and they reside in Colorado Springs, Colorado.  They have three sons, Marc (fiancé Anastatia Miles), Matthew (fiancé Katie Schaenzer) and Michael.  Dan married Brenda Larson and they reside in Hartington, Nebraska.  They have three children, Alexa (Kyle) Dorn, Casey, and Ethan (Shauna) Steiner and two great-grandchildren, Gibson & Quinton Dorn.  Charles and Dana enjoyed keeping up with their children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren as much as possible.

Charles has been a proud member of the Gretna American Legion for over 43 years and the Gretna United Methodist Church for over 50 years.

At 90 years old – Charles left this world to join his father in heaven on October 23, 2021. Charles is survived by his wife, two sons, six grandchildren and two great grandchildren as well as brother-in-law Richard Schmidt and numerous loving nieces and nephews.  He was preceded in death by his parents Art and Rose Steiner, four sisters (Ivadell Sohl, Ila Mae Curtis, Rose Ann Payne, and Charleen Schmidt), and 4 brothers-in-law (Burt Sohl, Donald Curtis, Ralph Payne, and Frank Benner).