John D Hamburger

A memorial gathering will be held at the Back Alley Bakery, 609 W. 2nd St, on Saturday, January 3rd from 3-5pm. Memorials can be directed to the family for future designation. Condolences may be sent to the family at www.lbvfh.com. Livingston Butler Volland Funeral Home & Cremation Center is serving the family.

John David Hamburger was born in Hastings Nebraska on August 11th, 1953, the third of five children of Bernard “Bud” and Betty (Carmichael) Hamburger. After swimming for Hastings High School, he graduated in 1971 and married Charlotte Aylward on December 23rd, 1978.

In more than 50 years with the family business, Carmichael Construction Company, John worked as a brick tender, trained to the level of master carpenter, and spent years in managerial roles in the company’s third generation of family ownership. As a result, he had a hand in countless public and commercial buildings across central Nebraska and beyond.

John’s passion for natural foods and ecological sustainability alongside his craftsmanship led him to build the first wood-fired brick oven in the state, become an award-winning baker (he is survived by his sourdough starter, Carl), and eventually open the Back Alley Bakery in Hastings with his wife. He was a driven craftsman and gardener, renovating and restoring a c. 1880 home on N. Lincoln Ave, usually rocking out to Bonnie Raitt or The Who.

Most of all, John was a devoted husband, father, and grandfather, instilling a strong sense of justice in his children and caring tirelessly for his wife Charlotte as she encountered health problems in retirement.

Those left to cherish John’s memory are:

Wife: Charlotte Aylward Hamburger

Son: Benjamin Hamburger & Dr. Kate Lavelle

Granddaughter: Annika Hamburger-Lavelle

Son: Joseph Hamburger

Daughter: Ellen & Matthew Jones

Granddaughters: Roslyn & Margot Jones

Brother: Dale & Deb Hamburger