Dr. Gene Deutscher, of North Platte, passed away at Linden Court on Saturday, June 15, 2019, at the age of 78, following a battle with Alzheimer’s disease. Dr. Deutscher was Professor Emeritus of UNL Dept. of Animal Science and the Research Center at North Platte.
Gene was born December 12, 1940, on the family farm west of Ellis, Kansas. He was the youngest of six children born into the German Christian family of Emil and Jennie Deutscher. Gene played basketball and graduated with honors from Ellis High School in 1958 then served two years in the U.S. Army in a Supply and Transportation Company.
In 1963 Gene married Karen Lofstead in Ellis and had three children, Deborah Jo who died at birth, Krystal and Brett. After his divorce in 1987, Gene met and later married Judy Bostwick on August 19, 1989, at the First Lutheran Church in North Platte where they made their home.
Gene’s formal education continued when he attended Kansas State University and graduated with a B.S. in Animal Husbandry. He later entered graduate school in 1968 at Oklahoma State University, earning his Master’s Degree in 1970 and Doctorate Degree in 1972, both in animal breeding and reproductive physiology. Dr. Deutscher went on to accept an Assistant Professor position at South Dakota State University as a beef cattle research scientist. In 1978, after six years at SDSU, he moved his family to Nebraska and joined the University of Nebraska West Central Research and Extension Center at North Platte as the first beef cattle reproduction and breeding specialist.
Dr. Deutscher’s research and extension programs emphasized the improvement of cattle production through reducing calving difficulty and calf losses, heifer development, estrous synchronization and new breeding programs, including sexed sperm. His research on using heifer pelvic measurements and calf birth weights to reduce dystocia was internationally acclaimed. Dr. Deutscher went on to become a popular guest speaker at conferences across the U.S., was a consultant in Argentina and Australia, supervised several graduate students as they went on to complete their degrees, and authored a beef handbook bulletin. Over 150 scientific and extension publications resulted from his research.
Dr. Deutscher retired in 2000 and at his University retirement celebration was quoted as saying, “People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.” Gene cared about people and always tried to do research and education programs that would help ranchers improve cattle production.
In 2013 he established the Gene Deutscher Fellowship in Beef Cattle Reproductive Physiology Fund at the University of Nebraska Foundation, which with the help of others, will fund one or more fellowships to Animal Science graduate students participating in research being done at the West Central Research and Extension Center.
Gene was a committed believer and Christian throughout his life. He was an active member of Messiah Lutheran Church where he served on church council and the finance committee, was treasurer of the building fund, organizer of the stained glass window project and Endowment Fund Chairman. While a member of First Lutheran Church, Gene served 11 years in Christian Education. He was also Scholarship Chairman of Elks Lodge #985 for 10 years and a member of the American Legion.
During his retirement years, Gene liked raising and selling Gelbvieh-Angus cattle and enjoyed driving his pick-up through pastures just to check on them. He also enjoyed tending to his vegetable garden and sharing his produce. Gene looked forward to attending Husker football games with his family and friends and liked taking vacations with Judy and their kids and grandkids.
Along with all his work, research and dedication to beef reproduction, Gene will be remembered as a loving, caring and compassionate Christian man.
Gene is survived by his wife, Judy, of North Platte; children, Krystal (Jak) Konrad, of Phoenix, Arizona and Brett (Mary) Deutscher, of San Jose, California; grandchildren, Devynn and Cassidy Deutscher; sisters, Alberta Breit and Hermine Burg, both of Long Beach, California; as well as other family.
He was preceded in death by his parents; infant daughter; brothers, Verlin and Emil, Jr. Deutscher; and sister, Carol Keller.
Funeral Service will be 10 a.m., Tuesday, June 18, 2019, at Messiah Lutheran Church with Reverend Rebecca Mangelsdorf officiating. Burial will follow at Floral Lawns Memorial Gardens. Visitation will be 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday with family greeting friends from 4-6 p.m. at Odean Colonial Chapel at C & Sycamore, which is in charge of arrangements. In lieu of flowers, memorials are suggested to the Gene Deutscher Fellowship in Beef Cattle Reproduction Fund or Messiah Lutheran Church Endowment Scholarship Fund to help others. Online condolences may be shared at odeanchapel.com.