Tuesday, Jan. 14

 

Hellman remembered as
a gentleman, a trusted
public servant

[JAN. 14, 2003]  Lloyd Hellman was "a real nice gentleman," recalled former county board member Doug Dutz. "Everybody liked him, respected him, trusted him."

Hellman, 71, died Monday morning at Abraham Lincoln Memorial Hospital. Services are at 11 a.m. Wednesday at St. Peter's Lutheran Church in Emden. Visitation is 4 to 8 p.m. Tuesday at Holland and Barry Funeral Home and 10 to 11 a.m. Wednesday at the church. Burial, with military rites, is in Hartsburg Union Cemetery.

In December Hellman began his ninth year as a member of the Logan County Board. During his entire tenure he served on the Airport and Farm, Finance and Road and Bridge committees. Roger Bock, who recently completed two years as Airport and Farm chair, remembered, "He was a good mentor -- always willing to fill me in and get me up to speed on things. We'll miss him."

Bock noted Hellman's long service as a Farm Credit director and on the Logan County Farm Bureau board. "He had friends scattered out everywhere," Bock said. "And he had a pretty good working knowledge of agriculture."

Lloyd Hellman also had a strong sense of humor, Bock noted: "He could be funny, but when it came time to be serious he got down to business." Bock also remarked that Hellman had an open mind.

Through November Doug Dutz chaired the board Law Enforcement/ESDA Committee, on which Hellman served beginning in 1998. "He was easy to work with," Dutz said of his former colleague. "He'll be missed on the board and personally. More so personally."

Hellman served as vice chairman of the Logan County Board from 2000 to 2002. He chaired the Road and Bridge Committee from 2000 until his death. County engineer Tom Hickman said Hellman took his public office seriously: "Lloyd tried to do the best job he could in his position."

When the new county board organized in December, Hellman was voted honorary chair. Paul Gleason, who made the motion, said, "He had been vice chairman and was a strong candidate for chair. Our whole background in the county is agricultural. He represented agriculture but also the interests of the county." Gleason remarked that Hellman was always very straightforward with his reasons for voting on issues.

 

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Rod White of rural New Holland, who served the county with Hellman from 1994 to 2002, praised his colleague's willingness to stand by his convictions: "He wasn't afraid to vote his conscience." Noting that the two had almost identical committee assignments and held like philosophies, White said he found it easier to work with someone who saw things in a similar way. He described Hellman as conservative and said they shared an understanding about how best to serve the public. He added that Hellman had the ability to look ahead and "tried to put the county in the best shape for the future."

In the newly instituted district system, Hellman represented the first district. He was a proponent of district representation and was instrumental in putting the system in place, White said.

Board secretary JoAnne Marlin remembers Hellman as "a good, gentle, kind person" who "always wanted to make sure everyone was treated fairly." He was willing to ask questions so he could make the best decision. He also "wanted to save dollars where you could save dollars," Marlin noted.

Hellman farmed in the Atlanta, Beason, Hartsburg and Emden areas. He was a director of the Logan County Conservation Agency, served on the Prairie Creek Drainage District and had sat on the Hartsburg-Emden School Board. He served in the U.S. Army from 1952 to 1954 and was past commander of the Emden American Legion Post.

Hellman and his wife, the former Alberta Luken, celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary with a trip to Niagara Falls last summer. She survives, as do a son, Brent (and Bonnie) Hellman of Emden; a daughter, Ann Marie (and Brian) Hilgendorf of Emden; two brothers, Norman (and Loretta) Hellman of Emden and Don (and Donna) Hellman of Lincoln; and three grandsons, Blaine Hellman and Taylor and Timothy Hilgendorf. His parents and a brother, Melvin Hellman, preceded him in death.

[Lynn Spellman]

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