Retiring and retired seniors have varied interests in the arts and provide many contributions to the Omaha community.

Retired UNO professor Bonnie O’Connell has a love of books and the art of printing. In her career, she taught book arts—letterpress printing, typography, book design, bookbinding, and papermaking—and she continues to create and exhibit the art of books in her renovated home studio.

Jesse Neese, a nuclear ink tattoo artist, says that tattoos are becoming more popular with seniors. They are the largest growing demographic for tattoos. There are a variety of reasons why people obtain ink,  including tattoos for medical reasons. Interestingly, insurance will sometimes even pay for tattoos to cover surgery scars.

A common interest in the arts unite two couples from different eras. George and Sarah Joslyn came to Omaha in 1880, and Roberta and Bob Rogers arrived here in the 1950s.  Neither were artists themselves but were motivated to support and grow the arts in Omaha. Their unique, but combined, stories is our Nostalgia piece this month.

You will want to be sure and read our story about Joe Cabral, a prominent member of the Omaha Chapter of the GI Forum. This club was formed in 1948, and has been going strong since. The affable Cabral serves as an unofficial membership coordinator and historian, and can often be seen playing his trumpet at the club.

This letter first appeared in the July/August 2019 edition of 60PLUS in Omaha Magazine. To receive the magazine, click here to subscribe.