Wilfred "Bill" Albracht

1926 - 2023

Wilfred "Bill" Albracht, 96, of Broken Bow, Neb., passed away peacefully Jan. 21, 2023, at Life Care Center of Aurora, Colo.

He was born Feb. 28, 1926, on a farm in St. Bernard.  He was the son of the late Frank and Isabelle (Schaefer) Albracht.

Bill was born and raised on the farm in St. Bernard with his parents, nine sisters and two brothers.  He met his future bride, Rose Ann "Deetz" (Schumacher) Albracht, at her father's apple orchard when he was twelve years old. They married Sept. 12, 1946, and had four children. They were married for 69 years.

During Bill's lifetime he was a farmer, owned a gas station, bartended and did whatever he needed to provide for his family until he started his career at Becton Dickinson in Columbus.  He and Deetz moved to Broken Bow in 1970, where he continued working for Becton Dickinson as a Production Manager and was later promoted to Manager of Manufacturing Engineers.

During his tenure at BD, he designed and built, with the help of his team, several TULIP (Tray, Unloading, Loading, Inspecting, Packing) robotic machines for the production of vacutainers.  These machines are still being used today in multiple BD locations. He retired from BD after working for the company for over 30 years.

Bill loved being a member of St. Bonaventure Catholic Church in Columbus and later as a member of St. Joseph's Catholic Church in Broken Bow, where he was a member of the Knights of Columbus.

He enjoyed playing golf every chance he could and playing in tournaments with family and friends.  He won several tournaments and even scored three hole-in-ones.  He continued to golf until he was in his early nineties.

Bill loved woodworking and sharing the woodcrafts he made with friends and family. He also loved hunting turkey, deer, and pheasant with his son, Gregg, and other relatives and friends. Bill enjoyed his many friends in Broken Bow and could often be seen having coffee at the downtown square in the morning and a beer in the late afternoon. Most of all, Bill loved his family and spending time with them.

He was the beloved husband of the late Rose Ann (Deetz Schumacher) Albracht; the loving father to his son, Gregg (Christine) Albracht of Santa Fe, NM, and to his daughters Khristane (Jim) Brand of Denver, Colo., Rebecca Albracht of Aurora, Colo. and Grace (Allen) Randolph of Morganton, Ga.; and the adored grandfather to Hope Ignacio of Santa Fe, NM, Seth Venhaus of Aurora, Colo., Jordan Venhaus of Aurora, Colo., Ashley Brand of Denver, Colo. Sydney Randolph of Phoenixville, Pa., Emily Randolph of Richmond, Va. He was beloved by two stepsons Anthony Cowherd of Montbello, Colo. and Steve Cowherd of Centennial, Colo., his wife, Deetz, and his son-in-law, Rod Cowherd.

Services are 10:30 a.m., Friday, Jan. 27, at at St. Bonaventure Church in Columbus. Visitation is at McKown Funeral Home in Columbus Thursday, 5-7 p.m. with a 7 p.m. vigil service. Burial is in St. Bonaventure Cemetery.

Condolences may be left at www.mckownfuneralhome.com.