Family Heritage Award: The Hubach Family
The Concordia University, Nebraska Family Heritage Award is given to a family that has had at least three generations attend Concordia and that supports Concordia through contributions of time, talent and treasure.
The Hubach family has many and various ties to Concordia University, Nebraska. Tim Hubach ’70 majored in education and married Marlene (Yungmann) ’72 who majored in music education. Their sons, Riley and Craig, also attended the university.
Riley ’98 received a bachelor of science in elementary education with a Lutheran Teacher Diploma and married Amy (Schuster) ’01 who has a bachelor of arts in theology and is certified as a DCE with youth ministry emphasis. They were married in 1999, and have three children: Marlee ’23, Ella and Maya. Riley currently teaches 6th grade science at Seward Middle School and Amy serves at Concordia Nebraska as a professor in the DCE program.
Craig ’00 received a bachelor of arts in business administration and married Amie Lynn (Miller) ’00 who earned a bachelor of arts in biology with a minor in communications. Craig has been employed as food and beverage manager for Target since graduation, and Amie is the elementary curriculum coordinator and Central Park Campus co-director for Montessori Children's House of Denver. They have two children, Eli and Max.
Marlene's sisters Janet (Yungmann) Brunette ’67 and Rosanna (Yungmann) Martz ’74 also attended the university.
Tim Hubach ’70 was born in Denver, Colorado, and grew up in Brighton, Colorado. His wife Marlene Nora (Yungmann) Hubach ’72 was born in Findley, Ohio, and grew up in Florida and Ohio. Tim earned a bachelor of arts in education from Concordia Nebraska. Marlene earned a bachelor of science in music education.
Tim said coming to Concordia Nebraska was initially challenging for him. He transferred to the university from a junior college in Colorado and had not visited the Seward campus prior to arriving on campus. He said he felt like a stranger in a foreign land. Yet Concordia welcomed him, he said. He made lifelong friends and found instructors that were concerned about him and interested in him. He said he felt safe and cared for. And at Concordia, he met his wife. He graduated in 1970, and she graduated in 1972. They were married in 1972 and began their married life together as well as their teaching careers.
Following graduation, Marlene taught at Immanuel Lutheran in Hooper, Nebraska, St. Paul’s Lutheran in Arlington, Nebraska, St. Peter’s Lutheran in North Judson, Indiana, served as day care director at Immanuel Lutheran in Twin Falls, Idaho, and taught at Trinity Lutheran in St. George, Utah.
“My family - Marlene and Riley and Craig - are treasured, precious gifts from God,” he said. “Besides a wife and mom, Marlene was able to be a teacher through all our moves.” Marlene passed away in September 2000 following a battle with ovarian cancer.
Following graduation, Tim taught various grades including Kindergarten, first, second, third and fourth at St. Paul’s Lutheran in Arlington Nebraska; St. Peter’s Lutheran in North Judson, Indiana; St. John’s Lutheran in Alma, Kansas; Immanuel Lutheran in Twin Falls, Idaho; Trinity Lutheran in St. George, Utah and Zion in Brighton, Colorado.
“Nothing can adequately prepare a college student for the challenges, joys, and successes, which are not in books, awaiting in their first classroom,” he said. “My time at Concordia taught me to be inventive and adaptable as a teacher. Concordia filled my teaching baskets full of simple, resourceful skills I would be able to use. I packed the patience, empathy and help the professors shared with me. I was able to use the organization skills I learned in all my classes. I discovered I could share with students and myself, in our daily walking together with Jesus, His overflowing baskets of daily blessings, grace and forgiveness.”
Riley Hubach ’98 is from Arlington, Nebraska but has lived a majority of his life in Idaho. He received a bachelor of science in elementary education from Concordia Nebraska and is currently working toward a master’s degree in literacy from the university. He said that his time at Concordia provided him not only with a great education but the tools necessary to serve God no matter where he is.
“Although I appreciated the small, Christ-centered environment more than anything, I also enjoyed the fun times I had with the great friends I made there,” he said. “Be at peace where God has placed you and trust that He knows what's best. You may wonder at times why you are where you are, but God has it all under control.”
Following graduation, he taught first grade at Trinity Lutheran School in Fremont, Nebraska, second grade at Grace Lutheran School in Pocatello, Idaho, as well as second grade and third grade at East Canyon Elementary School in Nampa, Idaho. He is currently serving at Seward Middle School teaching sixth grade science.
Riley’s oldest daughter, Marlee, graduated from Concordia Nebraska in 2023 with a major in education, an endorsement in English as a second language (ESL), a concentration in English language arts (ELA) and a Lutheran Teacher Diploma. Daughter Ella is a sophomore at Carroll College in Helena, Montana and is pursuing an environmental science degree. Daughter Maya is a junior at Seward High School.
Amy (Schuster) Hubach ’01 grew up in Idaho, living in Fruitland, Caldwell and Pocatello. She received a bachelor of arts in theology with youth ministry emphasis and from Concordia University, Nebraska. She is also Director of Christian Education (DCE) certified. She also has a master of science in clinical mental health counseling from Northwest Nazarene University in Nampa, Idaho, and is currently pursuing a doctorate in leadership studies at Gonzaga University.
Amy said her time at Concordia Nebraska taught her leadership skills, showed her how to build community and a gave her a foundation in Lutheran theology helped her to serve the LCMS through the church and as a professor that trains future DCEs.
“Concordia changed my life. I met fantastic friends, was encouraged by mentors who are now colleagues and my husband and I reconnected there,” she said. “God grew in me in ways I did not know I needed to grow!”
Following graduation, Amy served as a DCE at Grace Lutheran Church in Pocatello, Idaho, as a DCE at Grace Lutheran Church in Caldwell, Idaho. She is currently serves as professor for the DCE program at Concordia Nebraska.
A recipient of the Lux Cristi Award from Concordia University, Portland, Amy said her daily motivation is simple: she loves Jesus and wants to share Him with others.
“Jesus matters and our world desperately needs Him,” she said. “It’s easy to get caught up in the politics of the country or the church, but that is just a distraction – focus on Jesus.”
Craig Hubach ‘00 moved to Colorado following graduation, where he finished his internship for his degree working at Target. He remained with the Target Corporation and has worked in various management positions for them for the last 22 years. Craig and Amie were married in Denver in 2004. He said that in addition to meeting his wife at Concordia, making life-long friendships at the university with both peers and professores made a lasting impact on him. He loves to disc golf and going exploring with sons Eli, 15, and Max, 13.
Amie Miller-Hubach ‘00 is from Chelsea, Michigan, and has a bachelor of arts in biology from Concordia Nebraska. She said her time at the university helped her to navigate both life and relationships through the lens of her faith.
“I learned a lot about myself and who I wanted to be. I met my husband Craig and some of the best friends I have ever had at Concordia,” she said.
Following graduation, Amie served at the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo in Colorado Springs, Colorado as zookeeper and educator and as an elementary teacher at Parker Montessori. She currently serves as an elementary teacher and upper school director at Montessori Children’s House of Denver.
Amie fondly recalls her time at Concordia and said that her time on campus offered many life lessons that have stayed with her.
“Trust that God is working in your life, especially in the hard places,” she said.
Did you know Concordia Nebraska recognizes a variety of alumni and special friends with awards each year during homecoming festivities? Learn more here.
