Ramon V. Fictum was born December 10, 1935 on the family farm southwest of Wilber to Victor and Evelyn Fictum. He lived farm which has been in his family for over 100 years until his March 15, 2017 accident. He died March 31, 2017 at Bryan West Medical Center in Lincoln at the age of 81.
Ramon attended Saline County Rural School District 76 just a mile north of the family farm and graduated from Wilber High School in 1954. He served his country as a member of the US Naval Reserve.
He loved agriculture and farmed the land until he retired, renting out the ground while continuing to live on the farm. He was a member of Wilber United Methodist Church, the same church where he married Carol Jean Jelinek on June 8, 1958. The couple had two children, Bruce (BJ) and Gwen.
Ramon had a great sense of community, especially where his children and his church were concerned. He and his wife, Carol, traveled throughout Nebraska and Kansas in the early 1970s when their children were members of the Wilber Czech royalty and again when their daughter, Gwen, was Saline County Pork Producers Queen.
Ramon was a member of the Brush Creek Sokols organization of rural Wilber, serving as secretary/treasurer for many years. Brush Creek Hall was a social gathering place for 4-H clubs, extension clubs and dances in the early years.
He was a former member of the Wilber Farmers Cooperative Elevator Company Board of Directors, serving as secretary in the 1960s. He was also a former member of the Saline County Pork Producers association.
Ramon took pride in driving a school bus for nearly 25 years, first for Crete Public Schools and later for First Student Transportation Inc. He retired from bus driving in 2016 at the age of 80.
He enjoyed farming, listening to Czech music and spending time with friends on Sundays during his retirement — a meal out, touring the countryside or fishing. Reading and farm life were high priorities as was restoring several John Deere tractors. After his son lost his second leg to diabetes, Ramon was BJ's transportation service to appointments, dialysis and covering local sports events.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Evelyn and Victor Fictum; daughter, Gwen (Fictum) Buntgen on April 30, 2016; brother and sister-in-law, Dwight and Shirley Fictum. Survivors include his wife, Carol; son, Bruce (BJ), Wilber; son-in-law, Wayne Buntgen, Lincoln; grandchildren, Tyler Buntgen and Rachel Buntgen, Lincoln; nephews Douglas Fictum, Crete, and Daniel Fictum, Astoria, N.Y.; cousins, Bob Hubka, Cheyenne, Wyo.; Fay and husband Harold Neihart of Ralston; and Gail Pratt, Eagle.
Memorial services will be held at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, April 8, 2017 at Kuncl Funeral Home in Wilber with Pastor Lila Bottolfsen officiating and military honors by American Legion Post Louis-Milan 101 of Wilber. The family will receive relatives and friends at the funeral home Friday, April 7 from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Private inurnment of cremains will be at a later date. Memorials directed to the Wilber United Methodist Church Building Fund.