Terry Bertus Twiestmeyer

Terry Bertus Twiestmeyer, 79, of Grand Island, peacefully passed away at his home on Oct. 31, 2023.

Celebration of Life Service will be held at 10:30 a.m. Monday, Nov. 6 at St. Pauls Lutheran Church in Grand Island.  Reverend Jeff Pedersen will officiate.  Burial will take place in the Grand Island Cemetery.

Visitation will be from 4-6 p.m. Sunday at All Faiths Funeral Home Chapel. Memorials are suggested to St. Pauls Lutheran Church in Grand Island.

Terry was born on April 3, 1944, to Bertus and Frieda (Rosendahl) Twiestmeyer in Fullerton. He grew up on his parents’ farm along the Timber Creek near Belgrade and attended Timber Creek rural school and Fullerton High School, graduating in 1962. He attended the University of Nebraska-Lincoln for one year before returning home to help his father farm.

On Aug. 28, 1966, Terry was united in marriage to Cheryl Norskov of Albion. They farmed and raised their two children, Lisa and Clark, near Belgrade. He sold farm equipment part time while he was farming, and he began to develop a love and true talent for sales.  In 1984, he quit farming and the family moved to Fullerton.  That year, Terry formed his own company, Twiestmeyer & Associates, Inc., and began a successful career as an independent sales representative for numerous farm and industrial equipment manufacturers.

During his sales career, Terry traveled throughout the entire Midwest and beyond.  In 1997, he served as president of the national Agricultural & Industrial Manufacturers Representatives Association. In 2007, Terry was instrumental in bringing grain bagging technology to the United States from South America.  He and his business partner were the first to sell the grain bag system of storing grain in the United States.  In 2010, the Triumph of Agriculture Exposition in Omaha selected Terry as the recipient of its yearly Agri-Award for his contributions to agricultural development in the Midwest.  In 2012, he sold his company, but he remained involved in sales until recently. 

Terry and Cheryl moved to Grand Island in 1996, where they have resided ever since. For 16 years, they had a second home at Lake of the Ozarks in Missouri, where Terry enjoyed boating and spending time on the water.

In his retirement years, Terry enjoyed spending his days at his shop, Twisty’s, where he could always be found working on a project or helping his son, Clark, with his classic car and street rod building and restoration business.

Terry was a member of St. Pauls Lutheran Church, where he was an usher for many years. He had a beautiful singing voice and sang for countless weddings and funerals throughout his entire adult life. He was a member of the South Central Corvette Club, having owned seven Corvettes during his life. Terry and Cheryl loved spending their Saturday evenings dining at the Saddle Club or Riverside Golf Club after attending church. He was also a member of the Platt-Duetsche and the Liederkranz.  He enjoyed listening to jazz music, reading John Grisham novels, Starbucks coffee, a good joke, and an evening martini.  His greatest joy, however, was spending time with his family and attending his grandchildren’s many activities.

Terry is survived by his wife of 57 years, Cheryl; daughter and son-in-law, Lisa and Shane Stava; son and daughter-in-law, Clark and April Twiestmeyer; and grandchildren, Olivia Stava, Graham Stava and Ava Twiestmeyer, all of Grand Island; sister, Norma Jean Sindelar of Omaha; sister and brother-in-law, Berniece and Arthur Craft of Lincoln; sister-in-law, Julie (Jack) Adkins of Eugene, Ore.; brother-in-law, Tom Norskov of Grand Island; sister-in law, Alida (Gary) Lamb of Centennial, Colo.; along with a niece, nephews, and many, many friends.

He was preceded in death by his parents; father-in-law and mother-in-law, Arnold and Ellen Norskov; brother-in-law, Tony Sindelar; sister-in-law, Mary Ellen Norskov; and niece Michelle Sindelar.