Hal Dudley Tecker

Aug. 13, 1936 - Aug. 24, 2008

PARKS -- Hal Dudley Tecker, 72, of Parks, died Sunday (Aug. 24, 2008) at Wray Community District Hospital.

Before he was born, the devastating Republican River flood of 1935 washed everything away including the roads leading to doctors. His mother, Inez Tecker, had no alternative but to travel by train to her family in Lincoln where he was born on Aug. 13, 1936. A month or so later, his father, Ned Tecker, was able to travel to Lincoln and take his family safely home.

Like his father, he lived his entire life on Tecker Ranch near Parks. He worked every summer at Forest Inn near Estes Park, Colo., where he helped with the family business guiding hiking and fishing expeditions. He excelled in high school sports until he contracted polio. He furthered his education at Nebraska Wesleyan University in Lincoln. Then in 1958, he enlisted in the Army National Guard.

On June 29, 1958, he was united in marriage to Doris Jenkins of Haigler.

He was a member of the Dundy County School Board for 24 years and the Nebraska State School Board for six years. He served on the Hester Foundation Board and he recently retired from the Southwest Public Power District board of directors after 16 years of service.

His and his wife, were selected as the grand marshals of the 2004 Dundy County Fair and he was chosen the 2008 Master Conservationist for Production Agriculture sponsored by the Omaha World Herald and UNL's Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources. Tecker Ranch was also the recipient of the 2008 Nebraska Outstanding Grassland Conservation award.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Ned and Inez Tecker.

Survivors include his wife, Doris; a daughter, Audrey and husband, Fritz Brueggeman of Wray, Colo.; son, Jon and wife, Christina of Parks; a daughter, Carol and husband, George Peterson of Haigler; seven grandchildren; and many friends and relatives.

A memorial service will be at the Benkelman United Methodist Church at 11 a.m. on Wednesday with Carole Coates, CLM and the Rev. Brian Fong officiating.

Memorials will be given to the Dundy County Stratton School's Band Department.

Arrangements are by Forch Funeral Chapel.