Former county attorney, musician Hahn dies
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BY KEVIN O'HANLON / The Associated Press
Former Nemaha County attorney and longtime musician Charlie Hahn died Wednesday after a seven-month battle with lung cancer.
Hahn, 62, served as Nemaha County attorney from 1971 to 1982 and from 1997 to 2002, when he retired. He was a private practice attorney from 1982 to 1997.
He graduated from Auburn High school in 1963 and earned his law degree from the University of Nebraska in 1969.
Former Lancaster County District Judge Bernie McGinn, a law school classmate, recalled Hahn rode an old motorcycle to class and would lean it up against the wall of the school, which, McGinn said, “he did not attend frequently.”
“He usually wore jeans and a tweed sport coat,” McGinn said. “He was smart enough to do well in law school despite his poor attendance.”
Longtime friend and fiddle player Dave Fowler said Hahn’s taste in music ranged from classical to old-time mountain. He said Hahn had a deep understanding of the American banjo and fiddle tradition.
Friend William Kloefkorn, a professor emeritus of English at Nebraska Wesleyan University, said Hahn was “a study in individualism.”
“Charlie was a dues-paying member of the notorious Loup River Expeditionary Force,” Kloefkorn said, “if by dues you mean contribution above and beyond the mundane letting loose of money. He contributed a wry and sometimes cynical sense of humor.“
Hahn’s wife, Diane Burton, recalled the time a man Hahn had prosecuted sent beers to their table at an Auburn restaurant. She later asked him why he would buy a drink for a man who helped send him to prison.
“The guy said, ‘Charlie’s fair. He always treats you fair, and with respect.’”
A wake for Hahn will be from 5 to 8 p.m. Sunday at the Zoo Bar in Lincoln.
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