Jack Carl Plugge, age 69 went home to be with his Lord, July 29, 2019. He passed from this life peacefully surrounded by family after a short battle with cancer at CHI St Francis hospital in Grand Island.
Funeral services will be 10:30 a.m. Friday, August 2, 2019 at the Burwell Baptist Church in Burwell, Nebraska. Burial will be in Cottonwood Cemetery in Burwell. Pastor Tom Huffman will officiate. Visitation will be Thursday from 5 – 7 p.m. at the Burwell Baptist Church. Memorials are suggested to 4 The Cure or the Burwell Baptist Church. Hitchcock Funeral Home in Burwell is in charge of arrangements.
Jack was born to Walter and Adelia (Bishop) Plugge on October 3, 1949 in Tilden NE. They lived on a ranch around Bartlett and had a rodeo stock contracting business. Later they moved to town where Jack attended grade school and high school in Bartlett. He graduated in 1967. In 1969 he was drafted into the United States Army and served one tour of duty in Vietnam. He was honorably discharged in 1971.
After returning home, he worked on a local ranch around Bartlett. He met his wife, Peggy Armold and they were married on June 23, 1973. They joined the Armold family ranching operation. A precious moment in his life was when they were blessed with a son Trent and a daughter Kaycee. They continued ranching until 1997, then started supplying timed event cattle for high school, college and professional rodeos. They were chosen to supply timed event stock for the National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association Finals in Casper WY for several years. The cowboys of the Professional Cowboy Rodeo Association honored them by selecting their steer wrestling steers for the National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas NV from 1997 to 2003. In 2005, they returned to ranching until the present day. Jack became a part time brand inspector in 2000.
He accepted Jesus as his Savior at a Cowboy Church after Nebraska’s Big Rodeo and was baptized in 1978.
He loved his family, especially his grandchildren and took great pleasure in supporting all their activities, including sporting events and rodeos. He was known for his pranks and witty sense of humor. You wanted to be careful about reaching for a pen or lighter when you were around Jack, they were known to maybe give you a buzz.
Jack was blessed with the ability to write skits, poems, songs and radio commercials ranging from the serious to the humorous. He loved working with the youth group at church, and a good visit with a friend.
He is survived by his wife, Peggy, son Trent (Dana) of Burwell, daughter Kaycee (Jason) of Arthur NE, sisters Shirley Reiter, Bartlett NE and Joanie (Bill) Burton of Emporia KS, seven grandchildren and several nieces and nephews. He is preceded in death by his parents, a brother Walter Lee and a sister Barbara Nickols, a brother in law, Don Reiter and one grandchild.
Memorials are suggested to 4 The Cure or the Burwell Baptist Church.
