Father Lordemann was military chaplain, pastor, director of vocations

During his 49 years as a priest, retired Father Frank Lordemann wore many hats, including that of a U.S. Air Force colonel and military chaplain.

Other assignments included parish priest, seminary professor and director of vocations for the Archdiocese of Omaha.

Father Lordemann died Oct. 22 in Minot, North Dakota. He was 75.

Visitation will be Nov. 1 from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. at St. Bonaventure Church in Raeville with a wake service at 7 p.m. A funeral Mass will be held Nov. 2 at 10:30 a.m. at the church with burial at the parish cemetery.

Father Lordemann grew up on the family farm near Raeville. He attended the former St. John Vianney Minor Seminary in Elkhorn and Conception Seminary in Conception, Missouri. He received master’s degrees from Aquinas Institute in Dubuque, Iowa, and Creighton University in Omaha, and a doctorate from the University of St. Mary of the Lake in Mundelein, Illinois.

He was ordained a priest in 1972 and began his priestly service as assistant pastor at Sacred Heart Parish in Norfolk. From 1975 to 1977 he was associate pastor at St. Patrick Parish in Fremont.

Father Lordemann served as a military chaplain from 1977 to 2004, earning the Legion of Merit award, one of the highest honors in the military. After four years of active service, he continued in the reserves while also serving as archdiocesan director of vocations from 1981 to 1987 and professor at Mundelein Seminary at the University of St. Mary of the Lake from 1987 to 1993.

“To me, he was a priestly role model, and also a mentor and a really good friend,” said Father Steven Boes, executive director of Boys Town in Omaha. “He helped clarify what priesthood was.”

Father Boes said Father Lordemann also was a model of servant leadership that has helped him in his own leadership role at Boys Town.

“Frank had a certain dignity and grace about him that you rarely see – very calm in stressful situations, and for me a standard of holiness.”

Father Lordemann also served as pastor of St. Patrick Parish in Fremont from 1993 to 1998 and St. Mary Parish in Bellevue from 1998 to 2003. He was senior associate pastor of St. Mary Parish in West Point, St. Aloysius Parish in Aloys, St. Boniface Parish in Monterey and St. Anthony Parish in St. Charles Township, from 2003 until his retirement in 2016.

Most of his retirement was spent in residence at Boys Town in Omaha until his move in 2020 to Minot to be with family.

During an interview with the West Point News upon his retirement, Father Lordemann said: “I had the opportunity to be with people in their happiest and saddest moments. I’ve had the opportunity to walk with people in their faith life. Being encouraging, merciful and compassionate has been important to me throughout my priesthood.”

Father Lordemann was preceded in death by his parents, Joe and Beth Lordemann. He is survived by siblings and spouses, Tom and Evelyn of Norfolk; Marcia and Marion Abbick of Milford, Kansas; Stephen and Gloria of Petersburg; Molly and Larry Doubrava of Aurora, Colorado; and Joel and Jolene of Minot, as well as nieces, nephews, great-nieces and great-nephews.