Nellie (Saub Ashmore) Huckfeldt, passed away peacefully at the Chadron
Community Hospital on May 5, 2018 at the age of 97.
Nellie was born October 16, 1920 in Syria. Nellie came to the United States
in 1926 at the age of 6 years. Her parents, Joe and Scundra Saub, brought
their six children from Syria and settled in Gordon, Nebraska. Joe Saub
began a career in retail sales, first traveling the region in a one-horse cart
and then later in a store on the main street of Gordon. Nellie spent her
childhood in Gordon. Nellie graduated from Gordon High School in 1939.
It was during her school years while working in her father’s store when
Nellie learned to art of retail sales. It is a career that she would do her
entire working life.
After high school, Nellie attended Beauty College in Omaha. Nellie
graduated in 1941 and returned to Gordon where she worked in a
Gordon beauty shop. After a short while she returned to work in her
father’s store.
During this time, Nellie would attend dances in Gordon, Rushville,
and Hay Springs. At one of these dances, Nellie met a young man from
Hay Springs. On November 13, 1945 Nellie married Arlie Ashmore.
They moved to his family’s farm southwest of Hay Springs for the next
20 years. During this time they had three children, Duane, Connie, and
Dave.
In 1966, Nellie moved two miles south of Hay Springs. Nellie began
working for Virgil and Audrey Drabbels in their Coast-to-Coast Hardware
Store. She worked for Virgil, Audrey, and Gary Drabbels for 38 years,
continuing her lifetime career in retail sales.
On April 12, 1999 Nellie married Don Huckfeldt. Together they enjoyed
travel, playing cards, trips to Don’s farm, a frequent trip to Prairie Winds
Casino, and Don’s American Legion activities.
Nellie is survived buy her three children, Arlie Duane (Barbie) Ashmore of
Hay Springs, NE, Connie N. (Ronald) Peters of Roca, NE, and David J.
(Sharon) of Phoenix, AZ. Nellie cherished her six grandchildren: Adam
(Tina) Ashmore, Kylee Ashmore, Jason (Jamie) Peters, Ryan Peters, Shelley
Ashmore, and Alyssa Ashmore and her nine great grandchildren.
Nellie enjoyed people. She learned to interact with people at a very young
age at her father’s Main Street store. Nellie always loved to cook and always
enjoyed baking. She was noted for her cinnamon rolls.
Chamberlain Drabbels Mortuary is in charge of arrangements. Services will
be held at 10:00 a.m. on Wednesday, May 9, 2018 at the Zion Lutheran Church
in Hay Springs. Interment will be in the Hay Springs Cemetery. Memorials
have been established in Nellie’s honor for the benefit of the Hay Springs Fire
and Rescue Department, the Pioneer Manor Nursing Home, or the Zion
Lutheran Church.