John Edward Bechtel

When Brother John was still going to South Omaha High School, I would sometimes tag along with him to Fontenelle Forest and he would explain the bird calls and identify the plants, we might hunt morels or refill our canteens with cold, natural spring water. His teachings were not lengthy, sometimes just a wave of the hand or a single phrase, but I learned a lot, including the powers of observation, a love of nature, and the perfume of oil paints on canvas. Thank you, dear brother. I'll...

Many, many fond memories of John. Always enjoyed visiting with him. His intelligence, humor, talent and knowledge of the world always impressed me. He made me feel special. May he be at peace now.

I was pretty young when John and his older Brother Jim headed west . My best memories of John will be the " Maywood " years.
I was starting a family , John's family was next door , and our parents there too.
Camping in the desert.
Lunches at the beach .
Picnics up on Angeles Crest.
That's how I will remember him.

Jan Bechtel .

Every summer my brother sister or I would take turns visiting California. Uncle John always made sure we had a special day with him. I fondly remember going to Redondo Beach. He bought me a T-shirt and treated me to a fancy seafood dinner. He was always eager to show us his turtles and the plants/cacti that grow around his yard. I’ll always have special fond memories of my sweet uncle John!