Herbert Adolph Haertel
FAIRMONT – Herbert Adolph Haertel, 101, of Fairmont, Minn., was called to his eternal home Friday evening, Oct. 2, 2015. A funeral service will be held 1:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 9, 2015, at St. Paul Lutheran Church in Fairmont.
Visitation will be 4-7 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 8, at Lakeview Funeral Home, and will continue one hour prior to the service at the church on Friday. Interment with military honors provided by Lee C. Prentice American Legion Post 36 and Martin County Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 1222 will be in Lakeside Cemetery, Fairmont, following the church service.
Memorials are preferred to St. Paul Lutheran Church.
Lakeview Funeral Home and Cremation Service of Fairmont is in charge of arrangements.
Herb was born July 26, 1914, in Fairmont, Minn., the son of Emanuel and Mathilde (Nolte) Haertel. He was baptized at St. Paul Lutheran Church, where he was a lifelong member. He graduated from Fairmont High School in 1932 and went on to business school in Minneapolis. Herb worked for his father and with several of his brothers at the Fairmont Monument Works, established by Emanuel in 1899. Herb was drafted into the U.S. Army Air Corps in 1941 and served in the Pacific theater. Following an honorable discharge in 1946, Herb continued to work at the Monument Works.
In 1948, Herb was married to the love of his life, Margaret Neuenschwander. Their marriage was blessed with three children. The couple resided in Fairmont all of their lives. Herb and Margaret shared 57 blessed years together before Margaret passed away from pancreatic cancer in January 2005.
Herb and two of his brothers sold the Monument Works in 1974, then Herb worked at Cash Way Lumber until he retired in 1984.
Herb had a strong faith and was active in church, where he served on several boards and committees over many years.
Herb was a life member in the American Legion where he served as Commander and Chaplain, on the Honor Guard, and as driver for the Legion baseball team. Herb also was a member of the VFW. He played cards, golf, pool, softball and bowled in bowling leagues. Although Herb did not start golfing until his retirement at 70 years old, he managed to make two holes-in-one before hanging up his clubs when he was 88.
Herb and Margaret took trips throughout the U.S., Europe, the Caribbean, and spent many summers in Alaska visiting their sons and granddaughter.
Herb was very well-liked and an extremely friendly person that took great interest in knowing the history of families. He would often surprise people by how much he knew about their family that they did not even know themselves. Herb was very active, stayed in good physical and mental shape, and loved to sing. In a television interview for his 100th birthday he rode an exercise bicycle and did pushups.
Left to cherish his memory are his children, James (Nancy) of White Bear Lake, Minn., Dr. Roger of Hovland, Minn., and Diane (Kevin) Holmes of Watertown, Minn.; granddaughter, Maria (Paul) Grenwood of Bellingham, Wash.; sister, Ruth Pittman of Raleigh, N.C.; sister-in-law, Sigrid Haertel of Louisville, Ky.; and numerous nieces and nephews.
Along with his parents and wife, Herb was preceded in death by his siblings and their spouses, Gertrude (Walter) Larson, Irvin (Helen), Alfred (Gertrude), Elmer (Pauline), Helen (Raymond) Cordes, Robert; and brother-in-law, John Pittman.
