Charles W. (Bill) Haden was born on August 15, 1897 at Winside, Nebraska to Carl and Anna Glandt Hadan. He spent his boyhood on a farm near Winside and received his education in a country school and at Winside High School. He was baptized and confirmed in the Lutheran Faith.

In 1915 he moved to Bennington and entered into the plumbing, heating, electrical and refrigeration business in 1918. He established the Hadan Mortuary in 1934. In 1920 he was married to Clara Witte and to this union three daughters were born, Arlene, Bernette, and Myra Lee.

Bill was a faithful witness to the Lord through St. John’s Lutheran Church in Bennington, where he was a longtime dedicated communing member. He served on the church council for 12 years. He was also very civic-minded and helped in many ways to better the community. He served on the Bennington Village Board, on the Executive Board of the Omaha Home for Boys for 18 years, was a charter member of the Bennington Lion’s Club, a member of the Douglas County Hi-12, and was a member of four different orders of the Masonic Lodge. He was the first recipient of the Outstanding Citizen’s Award for the Bennington Community.

His hobbies were fishing and traveling. For many years he took groups of young boys for a day of fishing and swimming and was also the Scoutmaster of the Bennington Sea Scouts. He was a very kind and devoted husband and father, and did many charitable acts in his quiet way, especially for children’s homes.

Bill endured failing health for some time. It caused hospitalization the latter part of January and death came peacefully February 9, 1978 at the age of 80 years.

He is fondly remembered by his loving wife, Clara; his children: Arlene and her husband Thad Pittenger of Manhattan, Kansas, Bernette and her husband Ralph Hamel of El Toro, California, Myra Lee and her husband Charles Christiansen of East Brunswick, New Jersey; 9 grandchildren; 3 great-grandchildren; and many relatives and friends.

Funeral Services were held on Tuesday, February 14 at 1:30 p.m. from St. John’s Lutheran Church of Bennington, Nebraska. Pastor Norman Schroeder officiated. Ken Sukraw was vocalist and he sang “I Know that My Redeemer Lives” and “Beyond the Heavenly Hills”. Mrs. Verna Kniep was the organist. Casket bearers were: Russell Johns, Ray Schuldt, Lowell Neumeyer, Charles Johnson, Alex Mueller and Jerry Roe. The Hadan-Golden Mortuary was in charge of arrangements. Interment was in the Prospect Hill Cemetery of Elkhorn.

~~~obituary courtesy of Washington County Genealogical Society. Newspaper clippings on file in the Public Library, Blair, Nebraska ~~~

FindaGrave 31518403