Seward Rotary Club recently honored long-time member and past Club president Sue Tonniges as she concluded 18 years as a member of the Club.
Wednesday, August 31, 2022 was Sue Tonniges Day at Seward Rotary Club, as Sue Tonniges was recognized, honored and thanked for her years of loyalty and dedication to the mission of the Club and Rotary and living the Rotary motto of “Service Above Self." She was introduce by Dr. Matt Dominy, Club Past President and Jon Kruse, the Club’s Rotary International Foundation Co-Chairman.
Sue is the daughter of the late Polly and Floyd Gleisberg of Seward. She was born and raised in Seward, attending St. John Lutheran School and Seward High, where she graduate in 1969. She has one sister and two brothers.
She married her high school sweetheart, the late Doug Tonniges, who was also from Seward. They were blessed with two wonderful daughters, Dr. Heather Corey of Omaha and Rachel Tonniges of Seward. Heather and her husband Brian have three children, who are Sue’s delight as grandchildren.
After high school Sue attended school to become a Dental Assistant in Lincoln while Doug went to work with Sue's uncle, Ken Wirthel, at Wirthel’s Jewelry Store in Seward. Sue and Doug eventually bought Wirthel’s Jewelry Store and Sue also started working at the Jones Bank in Seward.
Sue started in Seward at the Jones Bank in 1973 and worked until 1980, and returned to work at the bank from 1995 until 2022, a total of 33.5 years. She was an Operations Officer and supervised the Customer Service Representatives at the Main Bank and then the Assistant Cashier before her recent retirement in March of 2022.
Sue joined Seward Rotary 18 years ago and became very involved right way, being named President-Elect her first year as a member! She was the Club President in 2007-2008 and exemplified dedicated and sincere leadership that year. She was a longtime member of the Club Board of Directors and one of the first co-chairs of the Stuff the Cruiser Toy Drive when it just was in its infancy. She continued to serve on the Stuff the Cruiser Committee for many years!
Sue faithfully represented the Club on the Seward Community Scholarship Board for almost two decades and assisted in selecting not only the recipients for Seward Rotary Club scholarships but for other community scholarships as well.
She was a key member in planning the Club's 85, 90 and 95 year anniversary celebrations and one of the faithful members who helped set up for Club meetings every Wednesday, placing out the Club’s regalia, banners, podium and bell and making sure that all was in order for the club’s weekly meetings.
She has decided to retire from Seward Rotary after 18 years of membership and service to the Club and Rotary International. Seward Rotary expresses its sincere thanks to Sue for her many years of exemplifying “Service Above Self” by naming her a Paul Harris Fellow and donating $1,000 to The Rotary Foundation in her name.
Thank you, Sue, for living out Service Above Self!