Jon Millard Appleget

Jon Millard Appleget

November 4, 1937 – August 28, 2024

Jon Millard Appleget, 86, of Lincoln, died on August 28, 2024, in Lincoln. He was born on November 4, 1937, in Beatrice, NE, to Millard Doney Appleget and Neva Faith (Huber) Appleget. He earned his Bachelor's degree at Peru State College in 1959 and his Master's degree at the University of Nebraska in 1965.

Jon graduated from Beatrice High School in 1955. Jon was a multi-sport athlete at Beatrice High School earning multiple letters in football, basketball and track. He was an All-State honoree in basketball in 1955. Jon was honored as the first recipient of the Beatrice High School Athlete of the Year award in 1955. He went on to Peru State College where he was also a three-sport letterman in football, basketball and track. Jon was selected to the NCC Coaches All Conference Basketball Team in 1959.

Jon married Shirley Louise Whittaker on May 29, 1959, in Beatrice, NE. After their marriage they moved to Fremont, NE where Jon began his career as a teacher and coach.

Jon began his storied coaching career in 1959 in the Fremont Public Schools system coaching a variety of levels of football, basketball and track. In 1965, he began his long tenure as the head coach in cross country and track & field at Fremont High School. In 1968, he founded the Fremont Track Club, a youth program that still exists and flourishes today.

As head coach, Jon won two cross country state championships, and five track and field state championships at Fremont High School. He was a five-time Nebraska Coaches Associate Coach of the Year, the 1986 Omaha World Herald Coach of the Year, and the 1992 Binne and Dutch Track Coach Award Winner. Jon was inducted in the Nebraska High School Sport Hall of Fame in 1998, in the Beatrice High School Hall of Fame in 2001 and multiple times in the Fremont High School Hall of Fame. In 2000, Fremont Public Schools named the Track & Field facility Appleget Field, in his honor. In 2023, Jon was inducted in the National High School Athletic Coaches Association Hall of Fame.

Jon resided in Fremont until December 2023. He was a member of First Lutheran Church in Fremont, Nebraska.

Jon is survived by his sons: Jon (Mary) Appleget of Colorado Springs, CO, Andrew (Carin) Appleget and Thomas (Angie) Appleget all of Lincoln; and 13 grandchildren.

Jon was preceded in death by his parents; his spouse, Shirley (Whittaker) Appleget; brother, Richard Baxter Appleget; and sisters: Sara Anne "Sally" (Appleget) Finck and Mary Alice (Appleget) Traubel.

Final resting place will be at Blue Springs Cemetery in Blue Springs, NE.

Memorials are suggested to the family for future designation.

Online condolences may be left at www.bmlfh.com.