Hilda Godeken, age 99 of Alma

A celebration of life service is planned for a date to be announced later.

Hilda (Pollman) Godeken was born to Kreno Pollman and Helena (Riel) Pollman on December 1,
1923, in Upland, Nebraska, and passed away on January 23, 2023, in Alma, Nebraska.

Hilda was baptized and confirmed in the Lutheran Church and later, as an adult, joined the
Congregational Church in Naponee where she was an active member for many years. At her passing,
her home church was the United Methodist Church in Alma, where she treasured her church family and
enjoyed participating in the United Methodist Women’s group.

Hilda grew up in the Upland area, attended school there and, later in life, earned her high school
diploma with a G.E.D exam, having taken correspondence courses through UNL. Always wanting to
better herself, she later graduated from Hastings Beauty Academy.

When she first moved to Alma, Hilda worked for Henry and Mildred Stuhmer in their Ben Franklin
Store. While there, she met her future husband, Wendell Godeken. They married in 1944 and to this
union, four children were born, Sharon, Sonja, Steve, and Shelly. They lived on the family farm near
Republican City, Nebraska, where Wendell farmed and Hilda was a tireless homemaker. Hilda also
owned and operated a beauty salon in Naponee, Nebraska, and then moved it to the farm in 1961,
where she operated her salon for twelve more years. In 1971, they moved to Holdrege and then to
Alma in 1976.

Hilda loved cooking, baking, sewing, crocheting and caring for her family, and went to great efforts
to make holidays special for them. She enjoyed reading, playing bridge with her friends, and avidly
following all her children’s sports and activities. Her friends have described her as kind, sweet, hard-
working, caring, with a good sense of humor; she was all that and more, and will be greatly missed.

Hilda was preceded in death by her parents; her brothers: Ede, George, and Harold; and a sister,
Marie Hubert and her husband, Wendell; and eldest daughter, Sharon McPeak.

She leaves to mourn her passing: two daughters: Sonja Godeken (Tom Corbin) of Mansfield,
Texas; and Shelly Wright (Ron) of Incline Village, Nevada; one son Steve (Kathy) of Republican City,
Nebraska; grandchildren: Jerry and David (Allison) West of Santa Clarita, California; Kimberly (John)
Fremgen, of Downers Grove, Illinois; and Katie and Jordan (fiancé Nina) Wright of Austin, Texas;
great-grandchildren: Caden, Morgyn, and Brayson West; Broden Godeken; and Julia and Grace
Fremgen; her nieces: Edelene Grier, Marjorie Gildersleeve, and Joyce Gudenkauf; and nephews: Rich,
Steve, and Terry Pollman; and Stan and Garry Pollman and their families, also grieve her passing.
Memorials to Hilda’s honor can be made to the United Methodist Church at 304 7 th Street, Alma,
Nebraska, 68920, with gratitude from her family.

Expressions of caring and kindness can be sent to the family at http://www.nelsonbauerfh.com

The Bauer-Torrey & Mach Funeral Home in Alma is in charge of the arrangements.

Source: Obituaries