Eugene Horst

Eugene Glenn Horst age 103, formerly of the Halsey, NE area passed away June 22, 2021, at the Good Life Center in Callaway.

 A Celebration of Life will be held July 17, 2021, at 1:00 pm at the Halsey School Gym in Halsey, NE with Reverend Parmenter, Les and Coral officiating. Casual attire is suggested. Graveside services will be held after the Celebration in the Purdum Cemetery with Military Honors.  Govier Brothers Mortuary are in charge of arrangements. An online guest book may be signed at www.govierbrothers.com.

Baseball lost one of its biggest fans June 22, 2021, when Gene Horst, 103, of Halsey, passed away in the care of the Callaway Good Life Center. Eugene Glenn Horst was born to Ernest and Hattie Horst at Fullerton, Nebraska, September 20, 1917.  He was the second of eleven children.  He attended rural schools and graduated from Belgrade High School in 1934.

Gene traveled in his model T to the Sandhills looking for work in 1935. He married the love of his life, Eleanor Cox, in 1942 after working at Cascade and Woodlake ranches.    He enlisted in the Marines, December 7, 1939, and served in Iceland, Tarawa, Tinian, Guadalupe, Saipan, and New Zealand during his six years of service before and during World War II.

After returning from the war, Gene took two years of carpentry training and went on to build 40 plus houses, remodeled many more, made furniture and cabinets, built his own boat and his own two houses in Halsey. He was the overseer of the building of the Nebraska State 4-H camp at Halsey.

Gene loved life.  His hobbies included photography, golf, fishing, wood carving, intarsia and riding his bike.  He loved baseball and was known in the area for being a good player in his earlier years and played on a Marines’ team his first year of service. Eugene and Eleanor enjoyed many years of camping and traveling and attending school events.      

Eugene is preceded in his death by his wife of 76 years.  Eugene is survived by his son, Dennis of Gothenburg (special friend, Rita Thomalla), his daughter, Katherine (Mike) of Prescott Valley, AZ., five grandsons:  Clay (Joni) of Loveland, Co,  Clint (Heidi) of Arnold, Ne, Jeff of Gothenburg, Ben (Jessica) of Johnstown, Iowa, and Brandon (Amy) of Chadron, Ne., his sister, Margaret Misner, Gering, Ne,  his brother-in-law and sister-in-law, Bob and Yvonne Cox of Purdum, 11 greatgrandchildren,  3 step great grandchildren, many nieces and nephews and wonderful friends.

Gene will be remembered for his sense of humor, his love of the Sandhills, his many houses and carvings he created, and his great stories told from his incredible memory.

Letters and memorials to Halsey and Purdum churches, Halsey Service Club, Nebraska State 4-H camp or Callaway Good Life Center may be mailed to Dennis Horst, 1321 Ave B, Gothenburg, Ne 69138.  Special thanks to the Good Life Center staff for their excellent care.