Tower’s new name re
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hanks to the Acklie Charitable Foundation, generations of patients will benefit from improvements planned at Bryan East Campus and the Crete Area Medical Center.
Some of the Acklie family include (from left) Holly Acklie Ostergard and husband Tonn Ostergard, Phyllis Acklie with great grandchildren Avery and William Ostergard, Winston and wife Amanda Ostergard, and Halley Acklie Kruse and husband Chad Kruse with baby Hattie Kruse.
Who are the Acklies? Duane Acklie was chairman of Crete Carrier Corporation. He and Phyllis “Phyl” Acklie grew up on farms in Madison County, Nebraska, and attended Norfolk Junior College. The week after they got married they moved to Lincoln, where Phyl worked as an assistant teacher and Duane was completing his final year of law school at the University of Nebraska. After he graduated, they lived in Germany for two years while Duane served in Army Counter Intelligence. When they returned to Nebraska, Duane went into private practice and became nationally known for his work in motor carrier law. In 1971, he represented a client in the sale of Crete Carrier Corporation. When the original deal fell through, the Acklies decided to purchase the business themselves. Duane and Phyl grew the company, which started with just six leased trailers and one customer, to one of the largest privately owned trucking companies in the United States. Crete Carrier got its start in Crete and built a new headquarters
2 Fall 2018
134102 Journeys.indd 2
10/24/18 3:18 PM