PETER C . BACKHUUS, 75

Funeral services for Peter C. Backhuus, 75, of Bennington, were held Tuesday, April 2, 2002, at St. John’s Lutheran Church in Bennington. Interment was at Flower Hill Cemetery. Mr. Backhuus died Friday, March 29, at his lifelong home following a battle with leukemia.

Peter Christian Backhuus was born Oct. 20, 1926, to Peter and Iva Pearl (Sumner) Backhuus. He was born and raised on the family farm. He attended grade school at District No. 44, and graduated from Bennington High School in 1944.

On Oct. 3, 1948, he married Adelyn Bull at Bethany Lutheran Church in Elkhorn.

Mr. Backhuus lived in the Bennington area all of his life. He drove trucks for Bennington Transfer following his graduation and later joined his father and uncle on the family farm.

He served as treasurer on the Douglas County Farm Bureau board for many years. He was the Bennington School Board president from 1963 to 1984. He was a lifetime member of St. John’s Lutheran Church in Bennington and served on several committees, and was a member of the Lutheran Club.

His love was woodworking (each grandchild has a shelf individually designed for them). He made letter openers for numerous friends, relatives, and nurses. He enjoyed time with his grandchildren and family and attended many of their sporting events.

He bowled on the St. John’s bowling league for many years. He was known as “Mr. Fix-it,”; he could fix or attempt to fix anything for anyone. He was a member of the Fremont Eagles and loved to dance. He and his wife played pinochle with friends for 45 years.

Farming was his life. One of his favorite farming chores was driving truck - - hauling grain to market, and chatting with other farmers while waiting in line. His favorite time of the year was calving season. He was sad to miss seeing the babies this year while he was in the hospital.

Mr. Backhuus is survived by his wife Adelyne; son, Mark Backhuus; son and daughter-in-law, Mike and Carole Backhuus; daughter and son-in-law, Nancy and Van Mohr; and daughter-in-law, Annette Backhuus , all of Bennington; 10 grandchildren; brother and sister-in-law, Tom and DoraMae Backhuus of Council Bluffs, Iowa; sister, Evelyn Suverkrubbe of Bennington; and sister and brother-in-law, Shirley and Virgil Wrich of Blair.

He was preceded in death by his parents, and a son, Terry.

Memorials are suggested to the Leukemia Foundation or to St. John’s Lutheran Church.

Hadan Golden Reichmuth Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements.

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

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