OBITUARY: Elmer Henry Hass of Scottsbluff

Elmer Henry Hass, 92, of Scottsbluff, formerly of Bridgeport, passed away Friday, October 15, 2021, at the Residency Care Center in Scottsbluff. His funeral service will be held at 10:30 a.m., Wednesday, October 20, 2021, Faith Lutheran Church in Gering with Pastor Richard Neugebauer officiating. The service will be livestreamed on Bridgman Funeral Home’s Facebook page. Friends may visit from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m., Tuesday, October 19, 2021, at Bridgman Funeral Home in Scottsbluff with a prayer service to begin at 6:30 p.m. Interment will be held at 2:00 p.m., Wednesday at Oregon Trail Memorial Cemetery at Bridgeport. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Faith Lutheran Church and Regional West Hospice. Online condolences may be left at www.bridgmanfuneralhome.com.     

Elmer was born March 1, 1929, at Minatare, Nebraska to Henry and Natalie (Reifschneider) Hass. He grew up loving farming and doing all the tractor work at a very young age. He married the love of his life, Mary Schilling, on February 19, 1950. To this union three children were born, Kathy, Don, and Ron. Elmer loved his work, farming from dawn to dusk. He was a top 10 sugar beet grower for many years. In 1994, he retired at the age of 65 and they moved into Bridgeport. In 2019, they moved to The Residency in Scottsbluff, and he resided there until his death. 

He was a member of St. Paul’s Lutheran Church at Bridgeport for 69 years, where he served in many offices of the church. At the time of his death, he was a member of Faith Lutheran Church in Gering. He especially enjoyed following his children’s and grandchildren’s activities after retirement. He and Mary traveled many places, including Montana, Colorado, Omaha, and New Mexico just to name a few. He spent many a morning in lively discussions with his coffee buddies.  He was a super fan of his beloved Nebraska Cornhuskers and always believed they were the best, whether they won or lost.  

Survivors include his loving wife, Mary Hass; children, Kathy (John) Livingston of Gering, Don (Pat) Hass of Bridgeport, and Ron Hass of Alliance; grandchildren, Jennifer (Scott) Axt of Seward, Brian Livingston of Scottsbluff, Kimberly (David) Kenkel of Grand Island, and Jeffrey (Deanne) Hass of Seward; great-grandchildren, Natalie Axt, Ayden and Hailey Kenkel, Tresten, Tayla, and Annya Hass; sisters, Dorothy Luft,  Jerre (Terry) Terwilliger, and Janice Cain all of Colorado; brother, Jim (Bette) Hass of Scottsbluff; and numerous nieces and nephews. 

Elmer was preceded in death by his parents, Henry and Natalie (Reifschneider) Hass; stepmothers, Marie (Robertus) Hass and Thelma (Reiber) Hass; and sister, Shirley Crow.

A special thanks to Regional West Hospice for the wonderful care given to Elmer.