Neligh Pharmacist Purchases Hofmann Pharmacy In Tilden

Ownership of the Hofmann Pharmacy will now be back in local hands after being purchased by Danelle Charf of Neligh.

Charf, who owns Wanek Pharmacy in Neligh, took ownership of Hofmann Pharmacy in Tilden from John Nagengast, a pharmacist from Bloomfield, on June 1. The new name for the pharmacy will be Tilden Pharmacy.

She said the idea for purchasing the pharmacy came from her wanting to embrace the potential that she believed the Tilden Pharmacy held.

“Probably one of the biggest reasons was to keep the store open, with all the potential it has. The previous owner was probably going to end up closing the pharmacy or selling it to someone else," Charf said.

She said that in today’s world, most small-town pharmacies don’t return after being forced to close. “Anymore, in this day and age, when a pharmacy closes, it's probably more than likely not going to come back,” Charf said.

After purchasing the store, she began renovating and making changes to the interior of the store. She also said that updated signs and repairs will be made on the exterior of the business.

Besides doing a makeover of the interior of the pharmacy, Charf also expanded its gift section, including the addition of Willow Tree, Hallmark and Yankee Candles. She said that she hopes it will mirror what customers are used to seeing in Neligh.

“We are going to try and mimic what we do at Wanek’s in Neligh,” Charf said.

Although the visual elements of the store have changed, the staff will remain familiar with a few additional faces. Boyd Batenhorst, who has worked at the pharmacy since 1979, will continue as pharmacist alongside Charf and Dave Stearns. Alisha Carr and Darcy Sparr will continue as certified technicians at Tilden Pharmacy. Grace Henn, a 2018 graduate of Pope John High School in Elgin, will work part-time alongside Kristina Hoefer at the pharmacy.

Charf got her start as a pharmacist by working for Jim Wanek in the summer of 1998 while Charf was completing pharmacy school. Charf received her bachelor’s degree in business administration/health sciences from University of Nebraska-Kearney. She went on to receive her doctorate from the University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC). After graduating from UNMC, she worked at the Elgin Pharmacy from 2002 to 2009.

In 2009, Charf, along with Jim and Candice Wells, purchased Wanek’s Pharmacy in Neligh. After Jim passed away in September of 2016, Charf purchased the Wells’s share of the business. She said that she is excited to continue to provide the pharmacy’s services to the community of Tilden, and is eager to learn the new faces of the customers.

“I’m really excited to get to know people in Tilden. I love meeting new people and I am a definite people person, and it’s just exciting to continue offering pharmacy services in Tilden and allowing that town to have their pharmacy.”