Gene Stradford Heidemann

Hastings resident Gene Stradford Heidemann, 84, was called to his heavenly home on Wednesday, January 4, 2024, at his home.    

Services will be at 11 a.m. Saturday, January 13 at Immanuel Lutheran Church, five miles east of Daykin, NE with Pastor Karl Hollibaugh officiating. Burial will follow in the Immanuel Lutheran Church Cemetery, Daykin, NE. Memorials may be given to the Alzheimer’s Association in c/o Angela Hulse, 515 University St., Hastings, NE 68901. Condolences may be sent to https://www.gerdesmeyerfh.com/obituary/gene-heidemann. Gerdes-Meyer Funeral Home in Fairbury is serving the family.

Gene was born on October 13, 1939 in Staplehust, NE. He was the third of six children born to Rev. Leonard and Violet (Chirnside) Heidemann. He was welcomed into the family of God through Holy Baptism at Immanuel Lutheran Church in Staplehurst on October 29, 1939. On March 29, 1953, he was confirmed at St. John Lutheran Church in Garner, IA by his father, Rev. Leonard Heidemann. He graduated from Hinton (Iowa) High School in 1957 and the University of Nebraska - Lincoln with a Master’s Degree in Crop Physiology as well as a Teaching Certificate in 1964. Following college, he was a science teacher at Holdrege, Bruning, and Meridian Public Schools. He farmed west of Daykin until his retirement in 2019. 

He was united in marriage to Kathleen Moser on February 1, 1977 at St. John Lutheran Church, Seward, NE. To this union God brought into the world two children, Angela and Michael. He was an active member of Immanuel Lutheran Church, east of Daykin, serving in various offices. Gene was the author of several family history books and was an avid license plate collector. He had a strong interest in United States history, loved western movies and tv shows, as well as classic cars such as Studebakers.
 

Survivors include his daughter, Angela (Ken) Hulse and son, Michael Heidemann (Nicholas Hall); grandchildren, Kenneth, Wyatt, and Marcus Hulse and Matthew Haldeman; sisters, Barbara McMahon of Huntsville, AL and Virginia Hughes of Seward, and brother, Mark (Teri) Heidemann of Seward; and sisters-in-law, Dorothy Heidemann-Nelson of Lincoln, Mary Heidemann of Daykin, and Sharon (Clayton) Sonnenschein of Sioux Falls, SD; and many nieces and nephews.

Preceding him in death was his wife, his parents; parents-in-law, Edwin and Althea Moser; brothers, Keith and Philip Heidemann; and brothers-in-law, T.R. Hughes and Don McMahon.