Daniel R. Pinkelman, 65, of West Point, NE passed away unexpectedly on Monday, November 6th at his home. Mass of Christian Burial will be on Tuesday, November 14, 2023 at 1:00 p.m. at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in West Point, NE. Visitation will be from 11:00 a.m. until time of service at the church. Interment will be on Wednesday, November 15, 2023 at 10:00 a.m. in Calvary Cemetery in Newcastle, NE. The Minnick Funeral Home in West Point is assisting the family with the arrangements.
Dan was born on March 4, 1958, in Yankton, SD, the son of Hugo and Frances (Pearson) Pinkelman. He was baptized into the Catholic faith on March 16, 1958, and graduated from Newcastle High School in 1976.
He made friends in all the places he lived including Anthon, IA, Norfolk, Oakland, Columbus, Aurora-where spent more than two decades, Fremont, and most recently West Point.
Dan was married twice and blessed with three children from those unions, Melissa, Christina, and Jacob.
Dan was a simple man with a big heart and an even bigger laugh that could fill a room and then some. He had many jobs over the years from meat-cutting to car detailing and shoveling snow, but his real work and sense of purpose was in helping others. Whether mowing someone’s lawn, carrying their groceries, or walking their dog, there was very little he would object to doing.
He loved the Huskers, enjoyed fishing and gardening, and was a frequent flyer to local convenience stores where he was a stranger to no one.
He loved connecting with people. He did this by greeting everyone he encountered and making daily calls to his brothers and sisters and distant friends.
He was grateful and found joy in the little things like ice-cold water, a good burger, going for a drive, or just taking a walk.
His greatest treasures are those he left behind. His daughters Melissa Fincham of Fremont, NE, and her children Dallas, Denver, Destin, and London, Christina (Cedric) Biteghe Bi Ndong and their children Severin and Silva and his son Jacob Pinkelman of Hastings; three brothers, Richard Pinkelman of Maskell, Paul Pinkelman of Newcastle, and William Pinkelman of Columbus; and three sisters, Trudy Hagen of Lincoln, Patsy Stander of Ponca, and Michelle Tieman of Portland, OR; and, his friends from Somerset.
He was preceded in death by his parents Hugo and Frances Pinkelman; sister, Julie Hall; and brother-in-law Lyle Hall.