Carl Elfgren

Carl Henry Elfgren Carl Elfgren passed away at his home in Overton on November 30, 2011 at the age of 73. Carl was born on October 20, 1938 in East Killingly, CT the second of six children born to Ernest and Dorothy (Oatley) Elfgren. He spent most of his childhood in Connecticut until the summers of 1955 and 1956 when he traveled by covered wagon with his parents, brothers and sisters to Nebraska. Carl attended school in Connecticut thru his Junior year in high school. After moving to Nebraska with his parents he graduated from Broken Bow High School in 1957. At a young age Carl was always interested in Indian Artifacts and was always out looking for Indian arrowheads. After graduating from high school Carl got a job with Morris Skinner at Ainsworth, Ne. They worked for the Museum of Natural History spending the summers in Ne. and the winters in Arizona looking for artifacts. Carl did this for a couple of years then joined the Army. He was stationed in Germany where he met Irene Hirschauer. Carl and Irene were married in May 1964 in Munich, Germany. After his discharge from the Army in September 1964 they returned to Berwyn and Carl worked with his father in the Elfco machine shop in Berwyn. At the young age of 19 Irene suddenly passed away. The machine shop was moved to Gothenburg and then to Lexington where Carl started Elf Hydraulic Repair. Carl moved his business to Overton where he continued to do hydraulic pump repair until he retired several years ago. Carl married Connie Akin in June 1977. At this time Carl became a step-dad to Connie’s daughter Tina. Carl and Connie were parents to two boys, William (Bill) and Travis. Carl enjoyed hunting and fishing and taught his boys to do the same. Carl liked to build and make things. He was a gunsmith and he make several muzzle loading rifles that he used when he went hunting or to muzzle loading shoots. He was a flintknapper and participated in several flintknapping events every year. Carl was a very patient man. For example, he would sit for hours gluing the pieces of broken pottery that he had found back together. When you stopped to visit Carl, you never knew what he might be doing. It could be weaving baskets from natural grasses to making Indian hammers or arrowheads. Carl was a member of the Grand Island Muzzle Loaders Club and the Gopher Smokers Muzzle Loaders Club of Lexington. Carl was preceded in death by his wives, Irene and Connie, parents Ernest and Dorothy Elfgren. Survivors include sons William (Bill) Elfgren, Travis and wife Angie Elfgren all of Overton; daughter Tina and husband Dale Poe of Hill City, KS; 12 grandchildren; two great-grandchildren; two brothers, Oscar Elfgren of Billings, MT; Roger Elfgren of Odessa; three sisters and brother-in-laws, Sandra and Junior Dunkel of Broken Bow; Linda and Delbert Smith of Cozad and Donna and Mike Hatfield of Lexington and several nieces and nephews; an Aunt, Francis Pechie of East Killingly, Ct. and several cousins of East Killingly, CT. And last, but not least, a special pet and companion, Tootsie. Funeral services will be held Tuesday December 6, 2011 at 11 a.m. in the Govier Brothers Chapel in Broken Bow, Ne. with Rev. Will Thompson officiating. Visitation will be Monday December 5th 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. at Govier Brothers Mortuary. Memorials may be made to the family. Carl chose to donate his body to anatomical research following the funeral rites.