Clifford Hanna

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On December 15, 2019, a devoted husband was reunited with his beautiful bride.  Cliff’s integrity and strength of character was evidenced to all who knew him.  He was always willing to give a helping hand to a friend and once you met him you quickly became a friend. 

Clifford Allen Hanna was born January 2, 1952 in Broken Bow, Nebraska.  He was born the third child and only (and favorite) son of Walter and Frances (Mannel) Hanna.  He grew up with his 3 sisters Linda, Kathleen and Janice, and attended grade school in Weissert until 2^nd grade and then Milburn until 8^th grade.  His 8^th grade class graduated 8 students that year, which comprised half of the entire school enrollment. Milburn then closed its doors and Cliff attended Sargent High School where he was active in sports and FFA.  His role on the family farm increased his senior year of high school with the passing of his father, 50 years ago last week. 

After graduating from Sargent High School, Cliff went on to study agriculture at the University of Nebraska – Lincoln.  In 1971, he returned to the Milburn area to continue farming with his mother and made his first land purchase, thus the beginning of Hanna Farms.

Cliff married his high school sweetheart, Connie VanZandt on July 28, 1973 in Sargent, Nebraska. They had three daughters; Carmen, Colleen and Justy (the Hanna girls).

Cliff was active in the community serving on several boards, including Gates Elementary School, Milburn Township, Sargent Irrigation, Loup Basin Reclamation and Custer County Zoning and Planning Commission.  He was also a Sargent and Twin Loup Booster and involved with Custer County 4-H.

Farming and ranching were not only Cliff’s work, but his way of life.  From his nickname “Farmer” in high school and bearing the responsibility after his father’s passing, he built his operations to the 3,500 head feedlot it is today.  He would say “retirement is having the time to do what you love and since I still love farming, I guess I am retired.” 

Cliff is survived by his daughters, Carmen Standley, her husband Brandon and their daughters, Syra and Taya of Lincoln; Colleen Slagle, her husband Jake and their children, Jayden, Jordyn, Jaxson, Jakobe and Jazmyn of Marquette; and Justy Nelson, her husband Tom of Sargent and their children, Hayden, Conner and Annie, and her daughter, Shae; and two sisters, Kathleen Hanna of Lincoln and Janice Beran and her husband Jim of Sargent and several nieces and nephews.  Cliff was preceded in death by his father, Walter Hanna, mother, Frances (Mannel) Hanna, his wife Connie (VanZandt) Hanna and his sister Linda (Hanna) Engel.

Memorial services will be held at Gates Community Center on Friday, December 20, 2019 at 10:00 A.M.  Cliff will be placed to rest in the Broken Bow Cemetery.  Memorials sent to the family will be distributed to the Gates Community Center and the Vasculitis Foundation (formerly Wegener’s Association). Visitation will be Thursday, December 19, 2019 from 5:00 to 7:00 P.M. at Govier Brothers Mortuary in Broken Bow, NE.