In May of 2025, the Central High School Foundation had the honor of awarding the Mary Grube Wahl, CHS 1967, Scholarship for the first time. Created after Mary passed in 2024, the intention of her scholarship is to carry on her legacy by awarding it to future educators who graduate from Central, but her legacy began long before her passing.
Mary Grube was born in Omaha, Nebraska, and spent her childhood in the Dundee/Aksarben areas of the city, with her older sister Carole Grube Langan, CHS 1964, leading the way. Carole recalls their childhood as being charmed, the perfect time in history to grow up. The two girls began their education right down the street from their house at Belle Ryan, then moving on to Norris Middle, and then Central High School.
Mary’s time at Central was touched by the same charm as her childhood, and the education she received became something she would appreciate throughout her entire life. Mary was a part of Homecoming Court, Student Council, and Cheerleading Squad where she made friendships that lasted a lifetime. Mary’s best friend from her time as an Eagle, Carole Adler Shovers, CHS 1967, recalls fond memories of summers at cheerleading camp, giggling in class, and the inexplicable way they just “clicked” as friends when they met. Upon Mary’s passing Carole remarked, “Mary was hard not to notice. She was someone who touched a lot of people in a wonderful way, and nobody ever had a bad word to say about her.”
During her time in class, Mary took pride in her English and writing skills, and especially appreciated the famous CHS stylebook. Her husband Tim says that her time in high school was very nurturing for her, and that she loved every aspect of it. Mary formed many connections with teachers and had a tremendous respect for them. She raved about her teachers even years after her time at Central and was deeply grateful for her four years as an Eagle.
Mary’s loving, generous nature led her to choose to spend her life paying forward the wonderful education she received as an Eagle by becoming a teacher herself. Following high school graduation, Mary attended the University of Nebraska, where she earned her B.A. in Elementary Education. Once she began teaching for Omaha Public Schools, she decided to continue her studies at the University of Nebraska at Omaha, earning her M.S.
"If your path crossed with Mary’s for any length of time, her impact would always stay with you."
Carole Grube Langan, Class of 1964
During her freshman year of college, Mary went on her first date with Tim Wahl, her future husband. Following their first night out, it wouldn’t be until seven years later that they reconnected for a second date, and they were married six months later. They then started their family, moved to Kansas for Tim’s job for two years, and then ultimately settled back down in Omaha. After several years of teaching, Mary left the classroom to be a full-time mother and educator to her children, Andrew and Emily.
As her children grew, Mary maintained a strong commitment to her community as a volunteer. She served on the boards of several non-profit organizations and regularly volunteered at Clarkson Hospital and Methodist Hospital. She spent her life in service to others and made an unforgettable impact on everyone who came into her orbit. Her children, whom Mary considered her most important students, took inspiration from their mother’s volunteer work and their father’s work as a doctor, and built careers in the medical community. Emily now works in communications in medicine, and Andrew is a radiation oncologist.
In the last several years of her life, Mary enjoyed playing bridge, golfing, spending time with family, and going to the cabin in Minnesota that she owned with her husband, sister, and brother-in-law. Mary was also very involved in the planning of all of her CHS class reunions and took great joy in reconnecting with her fellow Eagles.
Mary Grube Wahl passed away on May 31st, 2024. Because of her deep love of Central – her education, connections, and memories – Mary’s family decided that the perfect way to honor her legacy was to create a scholarship in her name. Each year, the Mary Grube Wahl, CHS 1967, Scholarship will go to a graduating senior who plans on pursuing education, hopefully ultimately teaching for Omaha Public Schools.
Mary’s legacy of a close loving family, a stellar education, and meaningful relationships can now spread beyond her world and the Central community to Central students destined to become great educators themselves. Her sister, Carole, describes Mary as “Loving, caring, and talented; a lovely person, inside and out.” Carole remembers her as a bright spot for everyone who knew and cared about her and says, “If your path crossed with Mary’s for any length of time, her impact would always stay with you.”