Wayne Wills Archer

Hastings resident, Wayne Wills Archer passed away December 31, 2025 at Mary Lanning Healthcare, Hastings, Nebraska.

Memorial Services will be at 11:00 a.m. Saturday, January 10, at Peace Lutheran Church in Hastings with Rev. Micah R. Gaunt officiating. Private family burial will be at Fort McPherson National Cemetery at a later date. Memorials may be given to the family for a memorial to be established at a later date. The service will be live-streamed on Livingston Butler Volland Funeral Home’s website. To view the service, go to Wayne’s obituary and click the play button shown toward the bottom of the page. 

Wayne was born January 6, 1944 in Lusk, Wyoming to Rex & Roberta (Wills) Archer. In 1948 the family moved to Kearney, Nebraska. Wayne had fond memories of riding the train back to Wyoming to spend the summers with his grandparents.

Wayne graduated from Kearney High School in 1962. He entered the Army in 1967 and was stationed at Stuttgart, Germany where he proudly served his country as a decoder in the Signal Corps until 1969. Following his time in the Army, he began a 39 year career at the Meat Animal Research Center in Clay Center where he worked as a plumber.

He was united in marriage to Gayle (Osborn) Archer on May 30, 1971 at the Campus Lutheran Chapel in Kearney, Nebraska. To this union, two children were born, Michael and Brooke. A loving husband and father, he would do anything for his family. He was a man of conviction, loyalty, and honesty. Wayne was an avid outdoorsman and was a lifelong learner about all things nature related. In his younger years he enjoyed hunting, fishing, camping and spent many years volunteering with the Boy Scouts of America. After retirement you could find him fishing at one of the many sand pit lakes in the area. He was most proud to be a grandfather to Finn and Bellamy.

Wayne loved the Nebraska Cornhuskers. As a football season ticket holder for 55 years, Wayne was the very definition of a true Husker Fan. “We'll all stick together, In all kinds of weather, For dear old Nebraska U.” And that he did, regardless of heat, rain, sleet, snow, or ice you could find him in his seat ready to cheer on the Big Red, even through those tough years. He leaves behind an extensive collection of Husker memorabilia for his family to enjoy.

He was preceded in death by his parents; father & mother-in-law, Robert & Marie Osborn; brother, Bruce Archer; sister-in-law, Connie Archer;  and brother-in-law, Gary Osborn.

Wayne is survived by his wife, Gayle; son, Michael (Nikki) and daughter, Brooke (Matt) Thoene; grandchildren, Finn Archer and Bellamy Thoene; grandpups, Maizie, Peppa and Teddy; sisters-in-law, Mary Osborn and Kate Archer; several nieces and nephews; and cousin, Linda Raymond.