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W. Eugene Flynn, 87

W. Eugene Flynn, 87, of Blair, died Thursday, Nov. 7, 2013, at the Good Shepherd Lutheran Community in Blair.

A memorial service will be 10 a.m. Monday, Nov. 11, at First United Methodist Church in Blair. Inurnment will be in the Blair Cemetery. Visitation will be Sunday, Nov. 10, at the church with family receiving friends from 5 to 7 p.m.

W. Eugene Flynn was born Sept. 9, 1926, in Ord. He was the son of Richard Patrick and Hester Ruth Flynn.

When he was four years old, his family moved to Blair and established Flynn Field Farm.

He graduated from Blair High School and attended Dana College before graduating from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln with a B.S. in farm management and agricultural economics in 1949.

He then returned to Blair and was a partner with his older brothers, Adrian and Thomas, operating a Holstein dairy herd, a hog operation and a crop farm.

On August 17, 1952, he married Kathleen “Katy” Coffey.

Mr. Flynn had a great love for the dairy industry and had a philosophy that milk should go “from the cow to the consumer." He served in many leadership roles in the dairy industry throughout his life.

He was a lifetime member of the First United Methodist Church of Blair and was very connected and involved in the community of Blair.

He is survived by his loving wife of 61 years, Kathleen “Katy” Flynn, along with his children, Annie Flynn, Kelly and Angie Flynn, Daniel and Patty Flynn, Michael and Diane Flynn, Karen and Marc Gengenbach and Jorge and Joy Soto; 19 grandchildren; 31 great-grandchildren and many friends.

Memorials may be directed to the Good Shepherd Lutheran Community, First United Methodist Church in Blair or to the charity of the donor’s choice.

#2 Printed in the Nov. 9, 2013 World-Herald, Omaha, Nebraska

Flynn, W. Eugene

Age 87

Blair. Survived by his loving wife of 61 years, Kathleen, "Katy" Flynn along with his children, Annie Flynn, Kelly and Angie Flynn, Daniel and Patty Flynn, Michael and Diane Flynn, Karen and Marc Gengenbach, Jorge, and Joy Soto; 19 grandchildren; 31 great-grandchildren, and many friends.

MEMORIAL SERVICES Monday at 10am at First United Methodist Church in Blair. VISITATION Sunday at the church with family receiving friends from 5-7pm.

CAMPBELL-AMAN FUNERAL HOME Blair, NE 402-426-2191

www.campbellaman.com

#3 Printed in the Nov. 12 World Herald, Omaha, Nebraska

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‘Go-getter dairy farmer was an industry advocate

Written by Pat Waters, World-Herald Staff Writer

Eugene Flynn of Blair had little down time when he and his brothers were running a large dairy, hog and grain operation.

But that didn’t prevent Flynn from holding leadership positions in regional and national dairy organizations, said Karen Gengenbach of Blair, one of his daughters.

“My dad was a go-getter. He got up to milk at 3:30 a.m. every day of the year, and at night, too. But in his prime he spent a lot of time in organizations promoting the industry, not just for us but for others, “ she said.

Flynn, 87, died Thursday at the Good Shepherd Home in Blair. Funeral services were Monday at First United Methodist Church in Blair, where he was a lifetime member and a Sunday school teacher.

He was born Sept. 9, 1926, in Ord, Neb., and moved with his family to Blair when he was 4. His parents, Richard and Hester Flynn, started the dairy, Flynn Field Farm. Eugene Flynn graduated from the University of Nebraska in 1949 with a degree in farm management and agricultural economics.

He and brothers Adrian and Thomas owned a 400-head Holstein dairy herd and a farrow-to-finish hog operation that sold 1,000 hogs a year. They also farmed 1,500 acres of wheat, soybeans, corn and alfalfa.

Eugene Flynn served as president of the Nebraska Holstein Association and Nebraska Inter-Breed Dairy Council. He held several leadership positions with Mid-America Dairymen Inc. and the National Dairy Council. He was involved with numerous community and agricultural organizations.

“He was a big advocate in the Midwest for the milk and dairy industry and had a philosophy that milk should go from the cow to the consumer,” Gengenbach said.

Other survivors include his wife of 61 years, Kathleen, daughters Annie Flynn of Carbondale, Colo., and Joy Soto of San Francisco; sons Kelly of Broken Bow, Neb., Daniel of Blair and Michael of Palmer, Neb.; 19 grandchildren and 31 great-grandchildren.

Flynn, W. Eugene

Funeral Leaflet (photo)

In Loving Memory of W. Eugene Flynn

Born September 9th, 1926 Ord, Nebraska; Entered Into Rest November 7gh, 2013 Blair, Nebraska

Memorial Service 10:00 am Monday, November 11th, 2013 First United Methodist Church, Blair, Nebraska.

Officiating: Pastor Rebecca Hjelle; Rev. Dr. Kevin McDonald

Organist: Clare Cowing; Congregational Selections: “How Great Thou Art”; “Great Is Thy Faithfulness”; Soloist: Tim Darnall; Pianist: Cheryl Darnall; Vocal Selections; “I Will Rise”; “Amazing Grace”

Honorary Pallbearers: Dave Nannen, Bill Tripp, Gary Hausmann, Rodney Hansen, Jerry Jorgensen, Chuck Jorgensen

~~~Obituaries, article and funeral leaflet courtesy of the Washington County Genealogical Society. Newspaper clippings and leaflets on file in the Blair Public Library~~~