Nebraskan's Friend Recipients

Bill and Evonne Williams - 2012 NEBRASKA'S FRIEND AWARD RECIPIENT

Bill & Evonne Williams made Omaha their home when they married over 30 years ago.  With their children now grown, they have found more time to volunteer and very much enjoy working together.  The Heartland Honor Flights were organized from their kitchen table and home office, and with the help of many additional volunteers and family members, took 1,500 WW II Veterans to Washington D.C. in 2008-2009.  The funds raised exceeded $1,300,000.

Once the Honor Flights were completed, Bill turned his energy toward helping Evonne with events at Strategic Air & Space Museum.  Some of those events included bringing in six of the original members of the 506th PIR of Easy Company, also known as the “Band of Brothers.” This event raised over $50,000 (net) for the Museum. 

Having a son who served two tours in Iraq, Bill & Evonne are very conscious of the sacrifices made by today’s military and their families. They created an exhibit to open near Veterans Day, 2010, called “Remembering Our Fallen,” which included photos of the 98 from Nebraska and western Iowa, who died in The War on Terror since 2001. This exhibit was very well received and over 325 family members attended the opening event, some driving as long as seven hours one way, to attend.  Another 750 people attended the exhibit’s public opening and ceremony. This exhibit is now traveling a week at a time, and has been booked through November, 2011. 

Bill grew up in southwest Iowa and graduated from Red Oak High School.   He received his Bachelor of Arts degree, majoring in History, from Dakota State in Madison, SD.  After teaching and coaching high school students for five years, Bill decided to change to a career in sales.  He has enjoyed representing various businesses and the past five years, has been calling on schools in Iowa and Nebraska, as a Sales Representative for a school design firm.  He has a passion for military history, especially that of World War II. 

Evonne grew up on a farm near Byron, a farming community in southern Nebraska, and after 16 years in the insurance industry, earned a Bachelor of Science in Human & Social Services Administration from Bellevue University. She served as President of Make-A-Wish Foundation of Nebraska for 16 years.  In 2008, Evonne was hired as the Deputy Director for Strategic Air & Space Museum and served as Interim Executive Director from October, 2009 - March, 2011. 

Both enjoy volunteering and Bill finds himself at the Red Cross every other Friday morning, as an apheresis donor, and just recently, hit his 700th visit.   Evonne has been a member of the Douglas County Foster Care Review Board and currently serves as a member of the NEBRASKAland Foundation Board.  Past volunteer efforts together include church and school, Rainbow House and neighborhood events. 

The Williams family includes four sons, all of whom are or have been involved in the military.  Ben, 26, married Michelle Weber of Omaha, after serving two tours of duty in Iraq as an Army Reservist.  He is now attending law school at the University of Nebraska.  Tom, 24, completed his Master’s in Criminal Justice and is a 2LT in the USMC.  Sam, 22, graduated from Creighton University in 2011, majoring in History.  He was commissioned as a 2LT in the US Army and is at Fort Sill, Oklahoma.  Max, 20, enlisted with the USMC at the age of 17, and is now a Corporal, stationed at Iwakuni, Japan, as an Air Traffic Controller.