Eugene Henry Figgner, 94, of Clarkson, Nebraska, died February 8, 2024, at Clarkson Community Care Center.

Mass of Christian Burial will be held Saturday, March 2nd  at 11:00 AM, at Holy Trinity Catholic Church (Heun) outside of Clarkson, Nebraska, with Rev. K. William Holoubek celebrating the Mass.   All services will be held at Heun starting with visitation from 9:30 to 10:45 AM and Mass at 11 AM.  Lunch will be provided in the church basement after graveside services in the parish cemetery.

Gene was born on January 4, 1930, in rural Dodge County to Henry and Ruby (Rumery) Figgner. His mother intended to name him Eugene Henry but his father got to the birth certificate first and wrote Henry Eugene instead. Ruby won in the end as her firstborn went by Eugene all his life.

He received his first set of pigeons when he was only 4, igniting a lifelong hobby he continued until he was 90. He also loved polka and Country & Western music, and his radio would always be tuned to one station or the other, especially early in the morning while he drank his first cup of coffee. He would never say no to a donut, cookie, or slice of fresh bread.

In August of 1948, Eugene met Jerane Faltys at her sister's wedding dance, and two years and five days later, Gene and Jerane were married at SS Cyril and Methodius Catholic Church in Clarkson. They enjoyed dancing together for the rest of their 56-year marriage.

Gene was a lifelong farmer in the Clarkson area.  He proudly served on the Colfax County Weed Board for many years. The only thing he loved more than farm life was his family.

His girls remember how he would let them brush his hair and give him manicures while he watched TV. He would sometimes yell at them when they helped with farm chores, but before the day was over he'd be sure to apologize with a hug and a kiss and tell them he was just afraid they were going to get injured. When the girls found themselves in trouble, he would help fix it with the advice, "Don't tell your mother!"

His sons-in-law remember how eagerly he put them to work on the farm while they courted his daughters. He returned the favor many times over, though, on house projects like building back patios and swing sets for the grandkids.

Eugene delighted in showing his grandchildren the baby animals that appeared on the farm – bunnies, kittens, calves, chicks, piglets, and even featherless baby pigeons. He happily took the kids on rides with Rusty the horse up and down the lane. If you were a small child in his presence, you couldn't leave without receiving a sucker and a "chin chopper chin chopper chin!" He was always up for a late-night snack of summer sausage and Cheez Whiz on Club crackers.

He and Jerane retired from farming in 1996 and moved to Fremont. He would have been happy on the farm forever, but he lovingly obliged Jerane's long-held desire to live near city traffic. His heart was always a little bit on the farm, though, and even in retirement he helped farmers with the harvest, kept a bountiful vegetable garden, and nurtured his beloved pigeons.

The Catholic Church and saying the rosary were very important in Eugene's life. He was a member of Holy Trinity in Heun and St. Patrick's in Fremont, where he was a longtime Saturday Mass usher.

He is survived by his four daughters: Sharyn (Bruce) Mueller of Columbus; Phyllis (Chuck) Prachensky of Papillion; DyAnne (Rollie) Holoubek of Adel, Iowa; and Kristyn (Jeff) Ginther of Oro Valley, Ariz; eight grandchildren: Lexie (Ryan) Soukup of Shawnee, Kan.; Kourtney (Ryan) Merrill of Denver, Colo.; Lindsay (Marshall) Poehler of Shelton; Brett (Pam) Mueller of Columbus; Elizabeth Holoubek (Joey Harrington) of San Francisco, Calif.; Simon Holoubek (Natasha Reynolds) of Chicago, Ill.; Jude Ginther of Colorado Springs, Colo.; and Zsa Zsa Ginther of Oro Valley, Ariz; and 18 great-grandchildren: Kate, Ethan, Piper, Sam, Alec, Finn, Meredith, Vivienne, Henry, Catherine, Edward, Ryker, Blake, Ryanne, Camden, Mickey, Ramona, and Willa.

He is also survived by brother David Figgner of Albion, sister Joan Schalk of Cedar Rapids, and sisters-in-law Janice Figgner of Albion and Esther Faltys of Early, Texas.

He was preceded in death by his parents; his wife Jerane in 2007; brothers Donald and Richard Figgner; sisters-in-law Lucille Figgner, Joyce Figgner, and Elaine Brown; and brothers-in-law Bob Schalk, Jerome Faltys, and Howard Brown.

In lieu of flowers, his family asks that you honor Gene's memory with a donation to the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network (https://pancan.org) or Holy Trinity Catholic Church Cemetery in Heun.