Dr. Fred Martin Hufnagel passed gently to rest at his Nevada City, CA home June 21, 2017, aged 99 years. Born Sept. 12, 1917 in Detroit, MI to Geza and Lily (nee Rosborg) Hufnagel as the second of five children.
As a youth in Detroit, Fred found work at the bustling Ford Motor Co. Henry Ford, recognizing the talent of young Fred, took him from the assembly line, where he was hanging flywheels, and gave him training in drafting and tool and die making. Some years later, he moved west to Glendale, CA and took a job with Lockheed manufacturing the P-38 Lightning, and opened his own machine shop.
During this time, he met Miss Helen Fjelstrom and they were married May 21, 1942. Three sons were born over the next few years during which time Fred had applied and been accepted into USC’s dental program. To help ends meet, Helen sold cookie sheets and lawn edgers (of Fred’s design and manufacture door-to-door), and to local hardware stores.
Fred graduated in 1948 and opened a practice in Los Angeles. The next year he moved his family to Grass Valley-Nevada City and opened a second practice, flying his private plane back and forth from there to LA.
In 1955-1956 he was drafted into the Korean War. Serving as Army Captain, he was first sent to Ft. Polk, LA, and later to White Sands Proving Grounds, NM. His family moved along with him. When he was released from service, the family moved back to Nevada City, CA and Fred re-opened his practice there, limiting his services to orthodontics, adding a second office in South Lake Tahoe, CA. Later, he would also fly his plane to Cloverdale and Palo Cedro, CA, adding orthodontic services to his sons’ practices. He served the Cloverdale community from 1974 through the early 1980s.
Fred loved flying, badminton, ice skating, downhill skiing, building, inventing, eating, attending church, traveling, and spending time with family. He became a Christian early on and lived his life to the fullest.
Fred is survived by his loving wife, Helen; brother, Dr. Weldon Hufnagel (Nellie) of Piedmont, CA; sons, Dr. Ric Hufnagel (Debra) of Cloverdale, CA, Dr. Douglas Hufnagel (Robyn) of Palo Cedro, CA, and Craig Hufnagel of Nevada City, CA. He had 11 grandchildren and 8 great grandchildren.
A memorial service will be held at the Cloverdale Seventh-Day-Adventist Church this Sunday, Sep. 24, at 2:00 p.m. with a potluck gathering for friends and family following at the church’s school.
