Memorials › Dr Kenneth Charles “Chuck” Bagby
Dr Kenneth Charles “Chuck” Bagby
14 Jul 1934 – 21 Jun 2021
| Birth | 14 Jul 1934 |
| Death | 21 Jun 2021 |
| Cemetery | Blair Cemetery Blair , Washington County , Nebraska , USA |
| Added by | Melissa Youmans Rios on 22 May 2024 |
| FaG | https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/228759531 |
Bio
Kenneth Charles Bagby, 86 July 14, 1934 ~ June 21, 2021 Kenneth Charles Bagby (Chuck) was born July 14, 1934, in Big Springs, Nebraska, to Georgia (Wilson) and Ken Bagby. The family soon moved to Sidney, Nebraska, where Georgia and Ken ran a Texaco filling station. Chuck had many talents in high school, playing in the band as an accomplished clarinetist. He also played basketball, and as starting center on the Sidney Maroons football team, where he was co-captain with his friend Jon McWilliams of later UNL Cornhusker fame. They went undefeated his senior year, earning him a spot on the Panhandle-B All-Conference team. In 1952 he was senior class president and Valedictorian. He was very active in the Methodist Church youth group in Sidney, which led him to study ministry at Nebraska Wesleyan University. After two years in the ministry program at Wesleyan, while playing football, basketball, and clarinet, Chuck discovered his talent in the sciences. While pondering why his theology classes didn't inspire him, his friend and roommate Robert Jewett, later a noted theologian, helped him see medicine as another way to serve God through helping others. Inspired by one of his science professors, and other pre-med students on campus, Chuck switched his major midway through his studies to pre-med. Needing to catch up through a Wesleyan introductory biology class, Chuck met Carole Allely, whose older brothers John and Don were football teammates. Chuck and Carole fell in love "over a dead frog," as Carole puts it. They were engaged on Easter Sunday of 1956. Chuck loved to say "It was also April Fools' Day, and she said yes anyway." They married December 18, 1956, in Carole's hometown Methodist Church in Tekamah, NE. Chuck attended medical school at the University of Nebraska College of Medicine, while Carole pursued her RN nursing degree at Nebraska Methodist Hospital, both in Omaha. They were blessed with their first son David in 1959. Chuck graduated from medical school in 1960. Dr. Bagby interned at Nebraska Methodist Hospital for a year. The small family moved to Greeley, Colorado in 1961, where he worked with Carole's uncle, Jim Allely, and her brother Don in their medical practice. That summer the Berlin Wall was built, and he received a draft notice to serve as a doctor. After a short deferral to attend the birth of his 2nd son, Richard, Dr. Bagby was inducted in the Army as a Captain, and reported for duty at Fort Knox. A nine-month deployment in South Korea as Division Surgeon with the 7th Infantry Division Artillery followed in 1962, where he also volunteered at an orphanage. During that time, Carole moved back to Tekamah to receive help from her parents in caring for the two boys. After his focus on preventive medicine and field sanitation in Korea, Dr. Bagby sought a short-term medical residency in Omaha to refresh his skills in patient care. In 1964 the Blair Clinic welcomed him with open arms and strong need for a new doctor! The Bagbys fell in love with the community in Blair, and Dr. Bagby officially joined the Blair Clinic Building Corporation. The family welcomed the birth of Jeff in 1967, and Kathleen in 1970. Dr. Bagby and Carole continued their devotion to their faith and to community service by joining the First United Methodist Church, the Lions Club, and other community organizations. He served in turn as Medical Director at Memorial Community Hospital (MCH), where he attended at over 2,000 births, including "13 and one-half sets of twins." In later years as President of the Blair MCH Foundation, he helped fundraise and make decisions at a critical time. Doc and Carole worked tirelessly for the Black Elk-Neihardt Park Board, serving at times as President, Secretary, and Treasurer; and with many friends were instrumental in building the Tower of the Four Winds, and again 30 years later in restoring and renewing the mosaic, and creating a permanent maintenance fund. In 1999, Doc and Carole received the Dana College Community Service Award, and in 2000 the Blair Area Chamber of Commerce Community Service Award. Numerous other community projects and recognitions exemplified not only their love of service, but their devotion to the people and Blair's unique charm. After retiring from the Blair Clinic in 2001, Doc worked part-time for MCHHS at the Fort Calhoun clinic for a while. He and Carole enjoyed retirement greatly, building the Healing Garden Railroad at MCH, and traveling and playing with their grandchildren and great-grandchild. Doc suffered a stroke in March of 2021, which affected his body, but not his mind and spirit. Since then, he was visited by all 4 of his children, family members and friends, which brought him great comfort as his body declined. He passed into Heaven on June 21st, 2021. Kenneth Charles Bagby passed away June 21, 2021. Private services will be held, A live stream of the service will be available Saturday at 11:00AM on First United Methodist Church's Facebook page. Left to cherish his memory are his wife Carole (Allely); son David of Lincoln; son Richard of Lincoln and his family, grandson Brandon Mullen-Bagby and his wife Melissa Lee, and great-granddaughter Ruby Lee of Silverton, Oregon; and granddaughter Kerstin Mullen-Bagby of Lincoln; son Jeff and his wife Melanie of Cloverdale, California; and daughter Kathleen Coate and her husband Paul, and grandchildren Genevieve and TJ Coate of Bloomington, Minnesota. If you haven't heard Doc's stories, you must not have ever spent more than five minutes at a time with him. Check out his book at the Blair Library, "Nuggets from the Golden Age of Medicine: No Relationship to Money". Memorials: To honor Doc's devotion to the health of the Blair community, get your shots, and bring a friend. Post a picture with #shots4doc to share! For vaccine locations, call the Blair Clinic at 402-426-4611; check your local pharmacy, or text your ZIP code to 438829, or call 1-800-232-0233. Other memorials to: Blair First United Methodist Church Foundation, Blair Memorial Community Hospital Foundation, or Washington County Community Foundation; consider directing it to Black Elk-Neihardt Park. ∼ Our dad, Charles "Doc" Bagby passed away this morning, June 21st, peacefully in his sleep. We remember him as a loving husband, father, grandfather, physician, church member, musician, and train enthusiast. He and our mother Carole celebrated their 64th wedding anniversary last year, and have many, many loving memories. We appreciate very much the amazing support and outpouring of love from family and friends – your messages were a comfort to him in his final days, and have helped us as a family in this difficult time. We will be holding a private, family-only service on Saturday, June 26th at 11am. We will live-stream this service so that all friends, family, and community members may join us online. We will plan to have an in-person community celebration of his life once it is safer to do so. We will add the livestream information here later this week, as well as information on where to send memorials. Our sincerest thanks, David, Rick, Jeff, Kathy ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ tributes above and below from FaceBook; Campbell-Aman Funeral Home in service to the family ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ He was a very selfless man, role model and great doctor. Blair was blessed to have him.--Julie Ann, FB He was a legend….a truly fine man and a wonderful, kind doctor!--Robley Hunt Garrigan, FB Dr.Bagby was a cornerstone of our community and supported our city not only as a physician; but, as a charitable community member.--Linda Jorgensen, FB I am so sad to hear this news. He was such a special man. His love for the community and the hospital was always evident in his service. But his love and care for Carole showed so much of the kind of man he was. I'm sure he was an exceptional father too. I have tears for all who will miss him. I know I am one of those--Harriet Thorsen Waite, FB Doc was one of my favorite volunteers of all time. Such a good man. --Laura Engen Willey, FB Your dad will forever be one of my very favorite people. What a devoted father, husband, Christian, musician, volunteer, physician and friend. His spirit lives on!--Allison Daley Matson, FB I am so sorry for your loss. I not only had the pleasure of being under his kind care from childhood into my adult years but later working with him when I was a nurse at Crowell. I always enjoyed our visits and his compassion towards patients. He explained things and was open to the nurses opinions and thoughts. Through church and growing up with you all in church and school I saw what a great husband and father he was.--Shelly Williby Andreasen, FB Thanks to Carole and your family for sharing him with us all those years. "Well Done, Good and Faithful Servant"--Mary Beth Hunt, FB #3 Funeral leaflet In Loving Memory of Dr. Kenneth Charles Bagby Born July 14, 1934 Big Springs, Nebraska ~ Entered Into Rest June 21, 2021 Blair, Nebraska Funeral Service 11 am Saturday, June 26, 2021 First United Methodist Church Blair, Nebraska. Officiating: Pastor Gina Gile. Pianist: Allison Matson. Soloists: Glenn and Amy Coates & Paul Coate. Musical Selections: "For the Beauty of the Earth", "Impossible Dream" Honorary Pallbearers: Brandon Mullen-Bagby, Melissa Lee, Ruby Lee, Kerstin Mullen-Bagby, Genevieve Coate, TJ Coate Final Resting Place: Blair Cemetery, Blair, Nebraska Campbell-Aman Funeral Home ~~~ Obituaries and funeral leaflet courtesy of the Washington County Genealogical Society. Newspaper clippings and leaflets on file in the Blair Public Library at Blair, Nebraska.~~~
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