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IN LOVING MEMORY OF
Chapin
Hand
February 19, 1911 – September 18, 2007
Obituary
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FUNERAL SERVICES FOR
Chapin Hand Age - 96 2/19/1911 - 9/18/2007 Celebration of Life 3:00 P.M., Friday, September 21, 2007 United Methodist Church in Seward, Officiant: Rev. Lee Johnson To Celebrate Chapin's life please feel free to wear bright colored clothing VISITATION 12:00 Noon - 5:00 P.M., Thursday, September 20, 2007 Wood-Zabka Funeral Home and from 6:00 - 8:00 P.M. Seward United Methodist Church with family receiving friends at the church and 10:00 A.M. until service time United Methodist Church on Friday, September 21 INTERMENT Seward Cemetery, Seward, NE MEMORIALS Seward United Methodist Church or Donor's Choice |
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Harold Chapin Hand, 96, Seward, passed away September 18, 2007 in Seward at the age of 96 years, 6 months, 27 days.. He was born in Seward, February 19, 1911 to Arch Delmar and Una May (Chapin) Hand. He was the oldest of four children. He attended school in Seward, graduating from Seward High School in 1929. He married Dorothy Ritchie, his high school sweetheart, April 8, 1934 at the Methodist parsonage in Papillion, Nebraska and they were married for 57 years. Their marriage was blessed with four children. Chap lived in the same house for 61 years, spending only his last 10 months at the Greene House in Seward. From1944 to 1948 Chapin and good friend, Max Anstine owned and operated "Hand & Anstine Dairy". At the time the dairy was started milk was neither pasteurized nor homogenized so they bought a pasteurizer and started to pasteurize the milk. In 1946, the Hands started a grocery store of their own. A unique feature of "Hand Grocery" was their charge accounts and deliveries. The store supplied produce to Concordia College, Seward Schools and Rest Homes. Local restaurants also bought their meat from Hand Grocery. Chapin also ordered merchandise for stores in Staplehurst and Goehner. Chapin ran the store until 1974 when he sold the store to Russ Endicott. Chapin Hand will be remembered for his family fireworks Stand (1949 to 1982) and The Seward Chinchilla Ranch. He raised chinchillas from 1949 until 1988 winning many awards. His brand 4C (for his 4 children and 4 original chinchillas) was retired in 1997. Chapin was involved in the chinchilla organizations on a local, state and national level. He served four years (1961-1964) on the board of the National Chinchilla Breeders of America. He was on the national board when NCBA consolidated with FCCA and they became Empress Chinchilla Breeders Cooperative in March of 1964. He served as President of the Nebraska Branch from 1958 until 1971. Chapin was also President of the Lincoln, Nebraska Club for many years. The Hands were always interested in helping new ranchers learn, and held many field days at their place. Chapin was a sanctioned judge, judging chinchilla shows in 14 states as well as Canada. They earned over 200 trophies and numerous Breeder Awards. In January 1985, Seward Chinchilla Ranch was listed 8th in "Agricultural Tours in Eastern Nebraska" listing interesting sites for group travelers. In 1999, Chapin was inducted into the Empress Chinchilla Hall of Fame in honor of his decades of service in the chinchilla industry. Only about 15 people in the United States had received this honor at that time. In 1983, Chapin was nominated for the Community Service award given on the 4th of July. His nomination announcement states "You name a board and Chapin Hand has probably served on it." He served on the Chamber of Commerce, Seward City Council, Seward Volunteer Fire Department ( 50 years), Seward School Board, and the 4th of July Committee. and served as director/president of the Seward Federal Savings and Loan. At 72, he was still serving on the Seward Memorial Hospital Board (23 years) and the Sundermann Home Board ( 18 years). He was a fifty year member of the United Methodist Church where he had served on various committees. Chapins other hobbies included painting, gardening, stock investments and playing cards. He always had time for his children and grandchildren . Family members left behind to celebrate his life include son and daughter- in- law, Dick and Linda Hand, Plano, Texas; daughters and sons-in-law, Jane and Dick Miller, Seward; Mary and Roger Daake, Kearney; Sally and Ron Viets, Seward; grandchildren: Wes Hand, Wendy Davis, Kris Chapp, Kathi Fieselman, Mike Miller, Mark Miller, Tony Schirmer, Troy Schirmer, Tiffani Daake, Ryan Viets and Shelly VanDerslice; step grandchildren, Bart and Brett Daake; 18 great grandchildren, 2 step great grandchildren and one great great grandchild; brother-in law, Arnold Wied, Seward; sisters-in-law, Loleta Hand and Lorraine Ritchie, both of Seward; nieces and nephews. Preceded in death by wife, Dorothy Hand; parents, Arch and Una Hand; brother, Arch Hand; sisters, Una Wied and Leota Christensen. |
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