Hugh’s father believed the grass is always greener somewhere else. So Hugh grew up in Nebraska, Kansas, Montana, South Dakota and Oregon. After 32 years pastoring First Baptist Church in Tecumseh, Nebraska, he found his home town.

Hugh graduated from North Salem (Oregon) High School in 1973. That fall he furthered his education at Grace College in Omaha, where he met his future wife, Beth (Holben). They were united in marriage in the summer of 1978 at the First Baptist Church in Tecumseh, Nebraska. Hugh had accepted Christ as his personal savior as a child but it was at Grace that he made an adult commitment and felt called to full-time ministry. After he graduated from Grace in 1980, Hugh and Beth moved to Portland, Oregon where he earned his Masters in Divinity from Western Theological Seminary.

After seminary, Hugh became youth pastor in Dallas, Oregon. While serving there, Hugh and Beth welcomed their twin daughters, Lucy and Katie. Two years later they added their son, Matthew.

Next, Hugh served as youth pastor at Trinity Baptist Church in Walla Walla, Washington. In September 1992 he responded to the call at First Baptist in Tecumseh. He served as pastor in Tecumseh until his retirement in May 2025.

Hugh served the Tecumseh community in large and small ways. He was on the volunteer rescue squad for 25 years. He served on the board for the Action Center, but he also was the guy the hospital called if someone needed a ride home. He enjoyed the ministry he had at Tecumseh Corrections, leading worship, teaching Bible studies and counseling. His prison work found him in a knife fight at the Johnson County jail and he helped subdue a prisoner at TSCI. He said he learned those skills by wrestling with his brothers.

Hugh passed away at his home in Lincoln on Saturday, January 24 after a monthslong struggle with liver failure. He is preceded in death by his parents, Alvin and Irene Giesbrecht and brothers-in-law Bill Knopp, Jon Buerstetta, Galen and Dale Holben and sister-inlaw Linda Holben.

Hugh is survived by his wife, Beth, children Lucy, Katie and Matt and son-in-law Jon Potter, siblings: brother Darrel (Marcy) Giesbrecht of Omaha, sister Rae Lynn Knopp of Canby, Oregon and brother Murray (Sue) of Salem, Oregon, sister-in-law Ronna Buerstetta of Tecumseh, uncles Ralph and David (Karen) Ewert and aunt Martha (Lon) Sorenson and many cousins, nieces and nephews will also miss his guidance, sense of humor and love.

A Celebration of Life Service was held at 11:00 a.m. Saturday, January 31, 2026 at the First Baptist Church in Tecumseh, Nebraska with Bob Potter officiating. Carol Ensor, pianist, accompanied congregational hymns, “Jesus Loves Me” and “Amazing Grace.” Speakers were Ken Roddy, Mike Carr, Patricia Warkentin and Lonnie Bissell. Inurnment was in the Tecumseh Cemetery, Tecumseh, Nebraska. Memorials may go to the family’s choice. Services were entrusted to Wherry Mortuary, Tecumseh, Nebraska.