Hugh Miner, Jr., (All Faiths Funeral Home, Courtesy)
GRAND ISLAND – Hugh Miner Jr., 78, who worked 45 years for Fonner Park, died Oct. 4 at the Central Nebraska Veterans Home.
According to Miner’s obituary at All Faiths Funeral Home, he was hired as assistant manager and in 1983 became the Executive Vice President and Chief Executive Officer at Fonner Park, retiring in 2016.
Chris Kotulak, CEO of Fonner Park, first met Miner in the winter of 1984 when he was looking for a racetrack announcer job. Kotulak was hired for that job in February 1986 and worked in that role for 10 years. He returned to working at Fonner Park in 2018.
“He was very business minded and very professional in the workplace,” Kotulak said. “He had a vision for Fonner Park.”
“He did change the face of Fonner Park for what many people knew of it for decades,” Kotulak said. “Certainly the city has a lot to be thankful for with what Hugh has accomplished.
Services for Miner will be at 11 a.m. Oct. 15 at the Bosselman Conference Center at Fonner Park. Daniel Naranjo will officiate. Livestreaming will be available on Miner’s obituary page at www.giallfaiths.com. Military honors will be by the United Veterans Honor Guard and U.S. Army.
Visitation will be from 5 to 7 p.m. Oct. 14 at All Faiths Funeral Home. Burial will be at Bass Point Cemetery in Boone, Iowa, at 2 p.m. Oct. 16. Memorials are suggested to the family to be designated at a later date.
Miner was born Nov. 1, 1945, in Grand Island, the son of Hugh and Catharine (Buettner) Miner. He graduated from Grand Island Senior High class of 1964 and received his business degree from Kearney State College. Hugh served in the U.S. Army receiving his honorable discharge in 1974.
He married Judy Zlomke, and they had daughters, Ann and Amy. He later married Patricia Lundgren on Nov. 12, 2009. This union gave Miner bonus children, Kristie, Bradley, Joshua and Cassie.
Miner was a member of First Presbyterian Church and Trinity United Methodist Church. He was very active in local community non-profits and served on the Home Federal Board of Directors.
Survivors include his wife, Patricia; children, Ann (Mark) Neville, Amy (Doug) Fletcher, Kristi (Ryan) Carpenter, Bradley (Jamie) Lundgren, Joshua (Rachel) Lundgren and Cassie (Byron) Hedrick; 16 grandchildren and sisters, Becky (Darol) Ellwanger and Margaret (Bill) Van Gorder.
He was preceded in death by his parents.
According to the Fonner Park Facebook page, Miner’s predecessor, Al Swihart Jr., “provided the bedrock for Hugh to build the foundation of a remarkable campus constructed with careful considerations for the needs of Fonner Park, Grand Island and Central Nebraska.”
Miner is responsible for the creation of the Turf Club seating area in the racetrack grandstand, the introduction of Fonner Keno and the establishment of the Finish Line Lounge. He paved the way for the construction of the current racing office and in 1991 built the general office building known as the Hugh Miner Jr. Administrative Offices, located above the 4-H Café.
Miner was also a leading force in the development and operations of the Heartland Events Center. He was an advocate of the Hall County Fair and Nebraska 4-H Horse Show and was CEO when the Nebraska State Fair built their facilities on the Fonner Park land and began State Fair operations in 2010. Miner retired as CEO in 2015 after 45 years of service. He was succeeded by his longtime assistant, Bruce Swihart.
