Longtime Arlington resident and former AHS basketball coach Bob Kremke died May 31 at age 88.
According to the Omaha World-Herald, the coach scored more than 300 career victories after winning a state title as a Millard High student-athlete in 1951. He led basketball programs at Weeping Water, Papillion, Plattsmouth and Louisville, but also the Arlington Eagles from 1973 through 1978.
A Kremke AHS squad earned a state trip in 1978, ending an 18-year drought. The program also claimed a 1974 conference championship, a conference division championship in 1975, and conference runner-up honors in '76, '78 and '79.
The Eagles went 84-21-1 during his tenure, never finishing with less than 15 wins in a season according to school records. They won 19 games in '78.
“Coach Kremke is a quiet, humble man who exposes little of his past accomplishments and honors,” the Arlington Citizen noted at the time.
“Bob Kremke (is) a conniver,’’ the World-Herald noted last week, quoting a 1976 Fremont Tribune article. “He’s tricky, sneaky, wily, stern, complimentary and low key or high key, depending on the situation. All of the above are reasons why Kremke is one of the most respected coaches in the Fremont area.”
The longtime coach is survived by daughter Donnette Kremke-Bastian, granddaughters Charlsie and Madison Bastian and special friend Norma Heldt. His wife of 58 years, the former Charleen Peters, died in 2017 as noted by the Omaha newspaper.
