Bill Brinkman Obituary - Visitation & Funeral Information

Memorial services for Bill will be held on Saturday, January 16, 2016 at 10:30 a.m. at the United Methodist Church in Geneva. Pastors Michelle Gowin and Scharleen Cross will officiate the services. Private family inurnment will be held in the Geneva Public Cemetery prior to the funeral service. Memorials are directed to the Geneva or Shickley United Methodist Church or the Shickley Community Foundation. Bill was born in Lincoln, Nebraska on August 17, 1928 to Karl C. and Maurine (Emrich) Brinkman. He passed away in Phoenix, Arizona on Monday, January 4, 2016 at the age of 87 years, 4 months and 18 days. Bill and his sister Elizabeth were born into the family. Bill’s parents met in Pawnee City. After they married, the family moved to Geneva, where Bill’s father bought the Fillmore County Co-op. After consolidation, Karl started a wholesale produce business, selling eggs, chickens, and cream. During the 1930’s, many local farmers depended on their egg income, and Karl’s semi truck hauled two loads to Chicago a week. Bill was responsible for nailing together hundreds of those wooden egg cases while he was in grade school. Bill grew up in Geneva, and graduated with the class of 1946. He loved participating in sports during his school years. During the early summer vacations, Bill and his friend Bob Waring would spend much of their time building rafts and fishing at the Turkey Creek which was a mile walk down the railroad tracks from town. After a new swimming pool was built in Geneva, much time was also spent there in his youth. Winter Saturday afternoons were often spent accompanying his father to neighboring towns to buy eggs from the grocery stores and cream stations. It was at this time that Bill learned much of his father’s philosophy through the meaningful talks they had about life, farming, and business while they rode along in the truck. Bill’s father also started farming along with the produce business in 1937. When Bill was in the 8th grade, he started driving out to the country to do farm work by himself. He very much liked the farming, and after high school he went to the University of Nebraska College Of Agriculture in Lincoln. While at the University, Bill majored in Soil Conservation and Business. For one year after college, he taught farming classes to World War II veterans in Fairmont, Nebraska. It was during this time that he also married Suzanne Koehler. Three children were born to this union: Cynthia, Karl and Barthold. Shortly after their marriage, Bill was called into the Army to serve in the Korean War. The military classes he attended while in college earned him the rank of 2nd Lieutenant. Upon being discharged from the Army, the family moved to a farm near Shickley where the Brinkman children grew up. It was great fun watching the kids grow up and attending all their school functions. The family had a cabin at Sack’s Lake and they spent many good times there as a family. In 1964, Bill started Brinkman Insurance Agency in Shickley. In 1969, he bought the Alfs Grain Company in Shickley and two years later bought Strang Grain. In 1979, he and friend, J.L. Lindsay, bought a 500 acre ranch near Quincy, California. They spent the next 10 years going through the process of subdividing the ranch into home building lots. They also built several spec homes. Bill and Suzanne were divorced in 1983. In 1990, Bill met and married Lavere Harvey of Lexington, Nebraska. They made their home in Lexington. The Ted Harvey family became an important part of their years together. Bill’s children and grand children were always the most important part of his life. He also very much enjoyed farming, playing tennis, and Husker sports. He even attended the first home Husker football game of 2015. Bill was preceded in death by his parents; his beloved daughter Cynthia Jackson; and nephew Karl Karabatsos. He is survived by sons Karl (Marge) of Geneva, Nebraska, Barthold (Mary) of Shickley, Nebraska; son-in-law Steven (Martha) Jackson of Alamogordo, New Mexico; grandchildren Adam (Kara) of Leavenworth, Kansas, Andrew (Katee), Arielle and Anna Brinkman all of Lincoln, Nebraska; Matthew Jackson of Phoenix, Arizona; great grandchildren Piper and Cora; sister Elizabeth Karabatsos of Phoenix, Arizona; niece Maurine Karabatsos of Phoenix, Arizona; Kim (Helen) Karabatsos of Omaha, Nebraska; grand nephew Michael and Christopher Karabatsos.

Tributes

Bill Brinkman

August 17, 1928 - January 4, 2016