Frederick Henry Haase

Frederick Henry Haase was born to Henry W. F. Haase and Clara E. Goos on July 21, 1930 on a farm outside of Bennet, Nebraska. He grew up in Nebraska City, Nebraska as the “baby” of the family, being the youngest of 10 children.

Fred had a knack for machinery and was a hard worker from an early age: He mopped the floors at a hospital at age 12 and began working at Kregel Windmill at the age of 14. He graduated from Nebraska City High School in 1948, and enlisted in the Navy shortly thereafter. Fred served on the repair ship U.S.S. Hector during the Korean Conflict. During his time of service, he was stationed in many places including Japan and Alaska. Fred was also a boxer while in the Navy, and loved to show off his strong shoulders.

After returning from service, he met Janis Jane Tiede, a farm girl from Otoe, Nebraska. The pair got married on January 29, 1954 at the First Methodist Church in Nebraska City. Jan and Fred celebrated their 64th anniversary last week.

Fred Haase got a job with Allied Chemical while still in Nebraska, working his way up from a shop machinist to the Vice President Director of Distribution. He was employed for over 25 years with Allied Chemical, and retired from Midwestern Services in Houston at age 80. He was involved in the engineering and construction of terminal facilities, working with chemical storage tanks and pipelines. Even though he was never formally trained, Fred’s intelligence and understanding of how things work plus his personal charisma and honesty allowed him to succeed in business.

After finally retiring, Fred had many hobbies. As a true handyman, he absolutely loved to tinker and fix things. He was extremely meticulous in his work, and always said “Anything worth doing is worth doing right”. He could get almost anything to work again, even if you didn’t want it…. He also enjoyed riding his bicycle, mowing his lawn, bowling with friends every Tuesday, playing card games with his grandkids, and watching his favorite TV shows, “Walker, Texas Ranger” and “Matlock”. Fred grew up as a diehard Nebraska Huskers fan, and held season tickets at Memorial Stadium for over 60 years. He was a sports enthusiast in general, and he especially loved to support his athletic grandchildren. He almost never missed one of his grandson Grant’s basketball and football games.

Fred Haase knew how to work hard, but he also knew how to have fun. He was somewhat of a daredevil and could make absolutely anyone laugh with his infamous one-liners. He was also known for his sweet tooth, particularly his love of Snickers bars. He cared deeply for his family, and loved his wife Jan with all of his heart. Fred served as an inspiration and role model to his grandchildren, and his family and friends could always count on him for support and advice.

Fred was a man of great faith. He was a member of the First United Methodist Church in Nebraska City, later in downtown Houston and most recently in Kingwood. He was also a part of the Adelphi Sunday school class and would always lead the family prayers at the dinner table.

Fred Haase passed away at Memorial Hermann due to heart problems on Friday February 2, 2018. He will be buried in Wyuka Cemetary in Nebraska City, Nebraska. He is survived by his wife Jan Haase, his children Douglas Haase and Deborah Haase, his son-in-law John Hazle, and his grandchildren Jason Haase, Madeline Hazle, and Grant Hazle. Fred also had 2 granddogs, Lola and Squirt, who will really miss being fed under the table.

A celebration of Fred’s life will take place on Monday, February 5 with visitation at 5:30 p.m. and a service at 6:30 p.m. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to Westbury Christian School. Visit www.westburychristian.org and under “Support” tab, click “Give online”. Then, designate your memorial in honor of Fred Haase.