Harlan Stahlecker

Memorial services for Harlan Stahlecker, age 86, of Naper, NE, were held at 2:00 p.m. on Friday, March 19, 2021, at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Naper, NE, with Reverend Samuel Crass officiating.

Burial was in the St. Paul’s Lutheran Cemetery in Naper, NE. Brockhaus Funeral Home in Spencer, Nebraska, is in charge of arrangements.

Harlan “Duke” Stahlecker was born on April 23, 1934, in Jamison, NE, to John and Esther Juran Stahlecker. He graduated in 1952 from Naper High School. After high school, Duke was attending Southern State Teacher’s College in Springfield, SD, when he married Marian Paulson of Wood, SD. Duke and Marian had two daughters, Valorie and Vicki. During this time, he was offered a job teaching seventh and eighth grade in Niobrara, NE.

After two years the family moved to Wood, SD, where he taught and coached basketball for five years. He became school superintendent, a position that he held for two years. Duke decided to change career paths and pursue a career in real estate. He joined United Farm Agency, a national real estate firm with offices in 43 states. In 1963 he moved his family to Nacogdoches, TX, to represent United Farm Agency. Duke later accepted an executive position at the company’s Kansas City, MO, headquarters.

After several years as vice president, director of sales, Duke decided to open his own real estate firm back in Nacogdoches, TX, Alamo Realty. While in Nacogdoches, Duke was a director at Stonefort National Bank and a member of the Texas Longhorn Breeders Association.

After leaving Nacogdoches, Duke moved to Austin, TX, and held various sales positions. It was during this time that Duke attended the Naper Centennial celebration and reconnected with his friend Velda Sieh McLaughlin. Velda and Duke were married on March 27, 1993. Duke and Velda lived in Velda’s home in Decatur, AR, for several years before moving to Canyon Lake, TX. They purchased Bill and Frieda Blakkolb’s home in Naper and spent summers in Nebraska and winters in Canyon Lake. They moved back to Naper full time in 2014. During this time Duke wrote for the Naper paper as the circuit rider.

Velda passed away in 2018 and Duke spent his remaining years at Butte Senior Living Center in Butte, NE.

Duke was a gentleman cowboy. He was rarely seen without a pair of custom-made boots, pressed blue jeans, a starched white shirt, and a Stetson on his head.

Duke passed away on Tuesday, March 9, 2021, at Sanford USD Medical Center in Sioux Falls, SD.

Duke was preceded in death by his parents, John G. Stahlecker and Esther Juran Stahlecker; and his wife, Velda McLaughlin.

Duke is survived by his brothers, Winston Stahlecker of Canyon, TX, Stan Stahlecker of O’Neill, NE, and Greg Stahlecker (Gayle) of Bluff Dale, UT; sister, LouAnn Heermann (Dennis) of Grand Island, NE; daughters, Valorie Bray (Pat) of Austin, TX and Vicki King (Tim) of Arroyo Hondo, NM; stepson, Stan McLaughlin (Barb) of Omaha, NE; stepdaughters, Edie Stavinoha (John) of Houston, TX and Leah Folb (Stuart) of Houston, TX; nine grandchildren; and five great-grandchildren.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be designated to American Diabetes Association at https://diabetes.org/donate or to the Alzheimer’s Association at https://act.alz.org/site/donation.