John Gunzenhauser

John William Gunzenhauser, known to his family and friends as Johnny, passed away on April 24, 2012 at the age of 98 years, 4 months and 26 days. He was born November 29, 1913 to Christian and Elizabeth (Rist) Gunzenhauser at the family home on Longbranch St. in Humboldt, NE. John was the last child born to Christian and Elizabeth. He was the descendant of pioneer homesteaders who came to Nebraska Territory in the 1850s and settled south of Humboldt long before the town existed.

John lived his entire life in Humboldt and was always active in the community.

In his youth, John helped his father farm west of town on the Nemaha River bottom. He and his father would walk about three miles from home to fields they worked with teams of horses.

He attended Humboldt School taking college preparatory course and graduated in 1930 ranking 14th in his class of 46. He received his ?Certificate of Accreditment? from the University of Nebraska asserting that he was entitled to enroll therein.

After graduating high school, John went to work with his brother-in-law Jack Kent at the restaurant known as Kent?s Café. His official job was cook and waiter and his unofficial duties included monitoring the nickel slot machines that were hidden under the counter and occasionally selling a bottle of bootleg liquor.

John worked at various jobs during the 1930s including being a stone cutter at the limestone quarry on Lake Hill east of Humboldt.

In 1934 he met the woman who was to become his wife for 63 years, Mildred Elaine Downey, better known as Elaine. They met on a blind date and went dancing at Z.C.B.J. Hall near DuBois, NE. They continued going to dances through most of their life together.

John and Elaine were married on Easter Sunday, April 21, 1935 and made their home in Humboldt. They had two sons, Gary John and Chris Lane.

In the late 1930s, John was employed at the Standard Oil gas station that stood on the corner where the Humboldt post office is today. This put John in the right place at the right time. Early in 1941 the Standard Oil distributorship for the Humboldt area became available and John?s friends coaxed him into pursuing it. Standard Oil chose John to be the area distributor, which turned out to be a far greater stroke of good fortune than anyone could have imagined.

John served his country on the home front during WWII with Standard Oil. The government defined his duties of supplying farms and gas stations with fuel and other essential materials as ?critical to the war effort?. John was not eligible for draft due to his job status and continued his duties with Standard Oil to support the war effort.

He retired from Standard Oil in 1961 after 20 years of service.

In the mid-1950s John was elected to the Humboldt City Council. During this time, he teamed with his good friend Dale Goodhart (mayor) and others in an effort to find much needed water for Humboldt because the old springs east of town were no longer adequate. A decision was made to drill a deep well a few miles north of town. They succeeded in finding plentiful water, which at that time was clean and uncontaminated.

Some citizens of Humboldt were critical of this action and campaigned to get John and the other collaborators removed from office on the grounds that they had acted secretly and without authority. The well they had been instrumental in putting in eventually became Humboldt?s primary source of water but the credit for bringing the water to town some years later went to other people, not the men responsible for initiating the effort.

In 1959 John decided it was time to expand on his business enterprises. He bought what was then known as ?the Wixon buildings? on Nemaha St. and opened a full service gas station which he named ?Johnny?s Service?. The locals simply referred to it as ?Johnny?s?. He sold Johnny?s Service in 1981 after 22 years serving the community.

Although John officially retired in 1981, he could be found ?minding the store? at Wassenburg?s Western Auto and Wilhelm Plumbing for many years after that. He also hired out to paint houses and do odd jobs for Humboldt?s residents in his retirement years.

John was a life member of the Humboldt Presbyterian Church where he was baptized and later served in various capacities and helped with custodial work.

John was a charter member of the Humboldt chapter of the Lions Club, served on the Humboldt Fire Department for many years and was a member of the Chamber of Commerce for many years. He was selected by his peers to be King of the Richardson County Fair in 1991.

John enjoyed sports in every sense of the word. In his youth he learned to fish and hunt with his father and fishing became a life long pursuit. In high school he played football, basketball and track, lettering in football. Later on he became an avid bowler and sponsored a team for Johnny?s Service for 22 years during which the team attained multiple championships. John collected many awards and trophies of his own in bowling too.

He began playing golf in the early 60s and was involved in the first efforts at that time to create a golf course for Humboldt. He never gave up working to that end. When the golf course northwest of town was in its infancy he helped work on the clubhouse and other projects to help get the course open. He was well into his eighties by this time.

As a spectator, he liked baseball, boxing, hockey and football, especially Cornhusker football. You knew exactly where to find John on Husker game day.

Though not exactly a sport, John was an accomplished card player including bridge, pinochle and above all, cribbage. He was always ready for a game.

John was preceded in death by his parents Christian and Elizabeth; wife Elaine; son Gary; sisters Gertrude Kent, Marie Riley and Mildred O?Grady; two infant siblings; brothers-in-law Morris Downey, Fred Downey, Jack Kent, Mike Riley and Tom O?Grady; daughters-in-law Jean (Dorland) Gunzenhauser and Barbara (Workman) Gunzenhauser; grandson Nikolaus Gunzenhauser.

He is survived by son Chris; sister-in-law Phyllis (Downey) Connolly; grandchildren Gregg Gunzenhauser, Gwen (Gunzenhauser) Workman and spouse Floyd, Robert Gunzenhauser and spouse Cheryl, Trent Gunzenhauser and spouse Darci, Liza (Gunzenhauser) Bauer and spouse Scott; 13 great-grandchildren; 2 great-great-grandchildren.

A memorial service will be held Saturday, May 19th 2012, 2:00pm at the Presbyterian Church, Humboldt, NE. Inurnment will be at the Humboldt cemetery. Memorials may be sent to The Presbyterian Church of Humboldt, NE.

Services were entrusted to Hemmingsen Funeral Home of Auburn.