Robert H. "Skip" Niederdeppe, 74, of Fremont died Sunday, Jan. 29, 2012, at A.J. Merrick Manor in Fremont.

He was born Aug. 13, 1937, to Henry and Anna (Gustafson) Niederdeppe. He grew up in the Telbasta area of Washington County. He graduated from Arlington High School in 1955 and then attended college. He served in the U.S. Army Reserves for six years. He began his employment with Hormel Foods in 1959, where he worked until becoming involved with union work. Skip lived in Elgin, Ill., from 1969-1979 and worked for Amalgamated Meat Cutters and Butchers Workmen at their Chicago Headquarters, traveling throughout the United States and Canada. He was involved in master agreement negotiations, grievance handling and arbitrations. He returned to Fremont in 1979 and worked for Local 22 of United Food & Commercial Workers Union and became president of the Union in 1981, retiring in 1990. He then worked for a time out of the regional office of UFCW in Bloomington, Ill., and did some part-time truck driving. In 2005, he was inducted into the Nebraska State AFL-CIO Labor Leaders Hall of Fame.

Skip married Sharon Tomasek on May 1, 1960, in Fremont.

He was a member of First Congregational Church, U.C.C. in Fremont and a member of the Antique Trucks Historical Society. Among his interests were old cars and trucks and their restoration, including a street rod that he built. He was active in setting up the car show during John C. Fremont Days.

Survivors include: his wife, Sharon; son, Doug (and wife, Kathy) Niederdeppe of Lexington; brother, David (and wife, Cyndee) Niederdeppe of Prescott, Ariz.; sister, Ruth Ruhrer of Chandler, Ariz.; and two grandchildren, Keegan (and husband, Justin) Korf and Makenora Niederdeppe.

He was preceded in death by his parents and a daughter, Roxane Niederdeppe.

The memorial service will be 10:30 a.m. Friday at First Congregational Church, U.C.C., in Fremont with the Rev. Cody Gallatin officiating. There is no viewing or visitation, however, friends may sign the register book from noon to 8 p.m. Thursday at Moser Memorial Chapel in Fremont with the family receiving friends from 6-8 p.m. Burial will be at 1:30 p.m. Friday in Memorial Cemetery in Fremont.

Memorials may be directed to the First Congregational Church, U.C.C. or to the donor's favorite charity.

Obituary courtesy of the Washington County Genealogical Society. Newspaper clipping on file at the Blair Public Library