Funeral services for Kelby R. Herman, 48, of Norfolk, formerly of Wayne, will be held at 10:30 a.m. Monday, July 28 at Our Savior Lutheran Church in NORFOLK. Visitation will be from 4-6 Sunday, July 27 at the Wayne City Auditorium in Wayne. Burial will be in Prospect Hill Cemetery in Norfolk.
Kelby passed away suddenly away Tuesday, July 22, 2025 at his home in Norfolk.
Memorial funds in memory of Kelby may be directed to the family for later designation.
Arrangements are with Hasemann Funeral Home of Wayne.
Kelby Richard Herman was born Nov. 19, 1976 in Grand Island to Richard Dean and Vicki Sue (Leach) Herman. He lived in Clarks where he attended grade school. After graduating from Clarks High School in 1995, he attended Dakota Wesleyan University in Mitchell, South Dakota, and graduated in 1999. Kelby and Joelle were married June 12, 1999 at Kindred Lutheran Church in Kindred, North Dakota. Kelby worked as a manager for Menard’s in multiple locations in the Twin Cities, before moving to Wayne to work at Vakoc Construction. He then started and grew his own business, Progressive Builders, as a builder and developer, moving to Norfolk in 2019, where he continued to expand multiple businesses across Nebraska.
Kelby lived for his kids, coached football, basketball, baseball, softball pitching, always showing up for every activity. He loved to compete, whether at noon hour basketball or with a stranger on the running trail. He loved the challenge of new projects, was very loyal and always a “straight shooter”.
If you asked him what he was up to, he’d say “Work, church and home.” Those were his priorities. He quietly helped others and saw their struggles when no one else did. He was teased by his family about winning a race no one else knew he was running.
Kelby’s family includes his wife, Joelle; son, Kallan (fiancé, Taryn Wagner) of Norfolk; daughter, Avery Herman of Norfolk; parents, Ric and Vicki Herman of Clarks; sister, Neely (Marty) Moser of Central City; brother, Bucky (Andrea) Herman of Clarks; parents-in-law, Brad and Sheila Childs of Ottertail, Minnesota; sisters-in-law, Darci (Todd) Sauvageau of Forest Lake, Minnesota and Kylie Childs (fiancé, Damian Smith) of Lakeville, Minnesota; nieces and nephews.
Preceding Kelby in death, were his grandparents Norman and Gerry Leach and Bob and Thelma Herman.
