David Nachbor

David Nachbor, age 80, of Herman, Minnesota passed away peacefully on June 11, 2021 at his home, surrounded by his loving family.

Memorial Services will be held Monday, June 21, 2021 at 1:30 p.m. at Herman United Methodist Church in Herman, MN with Rev. Heather E. Klason officiating. We know Dave would prefer that you dress casually; wear a racing or other t-shirt if you have one!

Visitation will be held Sunday, June 20th from 5:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m. at Herman United Methodist Church. Visitation will continue Monday afternoon one hour prior to service time at the church. A private family burial will take place at a later date.

David was born on May 16, 1941 in Fergus Falls, MN to Donald and Verna Nachbor (nee Nelson).  After graduating from Herman High School in 1959, he went on to attend the North Dakota State School of Science where he received a degree in Auto Body Repair.

From there, he took a job for a short time in Minot, ND then quickly moved on to a position in Wheaton, MN.  Soon after, he married his high school sweetheart and the girl next door, Pam Niemackl.  They made their home in Wheaton for a few months before moving to Elbow Lake, where he took a job with Clint Grove for several years.  It was there they added a daughter, Jane, to their small family.

In 1965 he joined Bike’s Burgers, where he was a manager and “fixer” – the company moved him to multiple locations throughout Kansas and Iowa to turn troubled restaurants around, as he had a gift for taking businesses from red to black.

During this time, they expanded their family to include a son, Keith.  When Dave tired of the restaurant business, he took a position as a coal miner in Knoxville, IA.  He worked with that rough-and-tumble bunch for about 3 years, but ultimately went back to Auto Body Repair when he opened his own shop.  By this time another son, Jeffrey, was on the way.

Dave owned the shop in Knoxville until 1976, when he and Pam decided to pack up and move back home to Herman.  There they started Dave’s Bump Shop, which he ran until he retired in 1997.  During those 20 years, he went to lunch at Denny’s Café every weekday, always ordering the same thing- a burger with fried onions.  Sometimes he’d shake things up by adding a slice of pie, depending on what Faye had in the case.

His interest in cars had no bounds.  For a few years in the 80’s he competed in numerous hot rod events, winning many trophies for his excellent modification skills and superior painting ability.  He travelled far and wide to attend car shows, with his favorite being the Back to the 50’s extravaganza at the MN State Fair Grounds every June, with Don Schuster as his ever-present traveling buddy, and the odd son or grandchild every now and again.

He was also bitten by the racing bug, and while he never raced himself, he was a passionate supporter of the sprint car racing scene in Knoxville for several years and made an annual trek (pilgrimage?) back there to attend the National Sprint Car Races every August, along with his sons and grandsons.  There he made life-long friends from across the nation.

In later years, Dave was a sports devotee, watching endless games of football all season long, a lover of news channels, and a deeply devoted fan of The Weather Channel.  Additionally, he and Pam have been loving caretakers of Niemackl Lake Park for nearly 45 years.  He mowed and hoed, hauled and repaired, and generally poured love into this beautiful nature preserve.  He claims to have spent thousands on bird seed, which brought him much joy.

He and Pam spent several months in Florida for 11 winters, where he discovered his love of the beach and basked in the sun and warm temps.

Dave was a friend to many, the kind of guy who quietly doled out advice you didn’t even know you needed, counseled the lost, held deep conversations with the looking, poked (annoyingly) at your convictions, and laughed with the light-hearted.

Nothing made David happier than spending time with his grandchildren.  Kids, the joy you brought to your grandpa’s life was immeasurable.  Whether you were playing ball, walking with him on the beach, or just hanging out in the garage with him, each of you truly were one of his deepest loves.

He has left a legacy to us all, in his words, his actions and his love.

Dave is survived by his wife of 58 years, Pam; his daughter Jane (Steve) Harstad of Alexandria, MN; son Keith (Jodi Itzen) of Bixby, OK; son Jeff (Cara Haupert) of Herman MN; his much beloved grandchildren Misha; Savannah and Sam; Sean, Ethan, Brody, and Teague; and sister-in-law Pam (Parsons) Nachbor of Ocean Shores, WA.  He was preceded in death by his parents and his brother, Ron.

Honorary Urn Bearers are his friends Don Schuster, Graham Groth, Doyle Sperr, Dave Horning, Gene Blascyk and Jim Johnson.

In lieu of flowers, please consider honoring Dave’s life with a donation to Niemackl Lake Park or the Herman United Methodist Church.