Final Salute

A memorial service will be held on September 14, 2024, at the First Christian Church in Aurora at 4 p.m., followed by interment at the Aurora Cemetery. A BBQ and celebration of life will subsequently take place at Dawn and Heath’s shop at 621 13th Street in Aurora.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Dawn for designation at a later date. The arrangements for Jason’s final farewell are being handled by Pastor Penny Schulz, Dawn Enderle, and Higby McQuisten Funeral Home in Aurora.
Jason Duane Wilson, age 50, passed away on July 2, 2024, at the Veteran’s Hospital in Grand Island, with his sister right by his side. He fought a short but courageous battle with stage 4 colon cancer. Born in Aurora on May 31, 1974, Jason led a life marked by service, creativity, and a profound love for his family and country.
Jason attended Aurora Elementary School and graduated from Aurora High School in 1992.   Following high school, Jason proudly served in the United States Navy, where he was a part of the Elite Drill Team in Basic Training then attended Class A School in San Diego, California to become a Steelworker and a member of the Seabees.   He spent most of his service time in the Navy in Adak, Alaska, where he earned an Overseas Service Ribbon and National Defense Service Medal. He later joined the Army National Guard, serving as an Infantryman. His dedication to his country was a testament to his patriotic spirit.
Professionally, Jason was versatile, working in various capacities from a Seabee in the Navy to positions at Cargill Kitchen Solutions in Iowa. His career also included roles in locksmithing, private security, and briefly with Dish TV. After moving back to Nebraska to care for his mother, he worked at Aurora Cooperative and later enjoyed interacting with the community while delivering pizzas for Casey’s until his illness wouldn’t allow him to work any longer.

Jason had spent some time getting to know Pastor Penny Schulz from the First Christian Church in Aurora, where he found spiritual solace and was very grateful for all of the thoughts and prayers from the congregation. His hobbies included gaming, watching Anime, enjoying movies, playing board games, assembling models, and painting miniature figurines, spending time with family and his dogs, and in the end building small Lego figurines with his sister. These activities reflected his playful spirit and artistic talent.   He was known as a jokester by his nephew and nieces.   He loved to supply them with things like gigantic Nerf guns with tons of darts and he would build forts with the girls to have Nerf gun wars. While living at the Veterans’ Hospital, he enjoyed hand feeding the squirrels and having his sister push him around the building in his wheelchair, even though their running joke was that she was always wanting him to try to take the stairs in his wheelchair instead of the elevators.
Family was central to Jason’s life. He is survived by his sister, Dawn (Heath) Enderle; nephew, Heath Jr. (Sarah) Enderle; nieces, Hanah (Joey) Varela and Cadance Enderle; great nieces and nephew, Laykin and Lowit Enderle, and his newest niece Elowyn Varela; uncles and aunts, Dennis and Linda Exum, Peggy Campbell, Kathy Burry and Marietta Bloise, Bob and Ann Wilson, Joann Froid; and many cousins and numerous friends.
He was preceded in death by his infant son, Eric Steven Wilson, his parents, Danny and Kathy Wilson, and his maternal and paternal grandparents, along with other relatives.
Jason’s legacy is marked by his cheerful demeanor, his great sense of humor, his service to his country, and his enduring love for his family and friends. His life was a vivid tapestry of dedication and joy leaving a lasting impact on all who knew him.   He will be greatly missed.