Norbert F. Reinsch, Sr., 87 of Smithville, MO, (formerly of Gladstone, MO) passed away with his family by his side Monday July 20, 2015 at the home. A visitation is scheduled Thursday, July 23 from 6:00 – 9:00 PM at Holy Family Catholic Church, 919 NE 96th Street, Kansas City, with Rosary at 6:00. Funeral Service will also be at Holy Family Church on Friday, July 24 at 10:00 AM. Burial immediately following the service at Resurrection Cemetery, Kansas City. In lieu of flowers, donations are being accepted.
Norbert was born March 20, 1928 in Summerfield, KS, the only son of Frank Gustav and Valentina (Dena) Christina Reinsch. He was the youngest child, having three older sisters, all deceased. His Dad was a Blacksmith by trade. Norbert's father died at a young age forcing Norbert to quit school in the 9th grade to take care of the family and farm. Norbert married his wife Helen Louise Schulte June 23, 1948 in Baileyville, KS.
Norbert and his wife Helen moved to the Kansas City area in 1953. He, his wife and three children at the time, came to the area with $100 in his pocket and the need to find work to provide for his ever-growing family. He initially found odd jobs working for area farmers, fixing tractors and equipment, planting the fields and harvesting the crops. He quickly made many friendships that lasted a lifetime.
He gained employment at the Fairfax Bomber Assembly plant in KC, KS during the Korean war where he was a sheet metal mechanic working on the fuselage and wing sections of the planes. After the war, the assembly plant was shutting down, he gained employment in 1955 with TWA Airlines as a Skilled Sheet Metal Mechanic where he worked until his retirement in 1995. He saw many changes within TWA as the airline grew to become one of the best in the airline industry until its demise in the mid 90's. Norbert having only a 9th grade education was a very skilled craftsman in his trade. He was asked to do several special projects for TWA, even traveling to Saudi Arabia in the mid-70's to educate and train personnel on repair and maintenance of the TWA aircrafts at the time. He got a real kick out of painting the shoe heals of so many of his co-workers and even one or two of the management staff unbeknownst to them. He loved watching them come out into the Overhaul base ranting and raving as to whom did such a thing. Everyone enjoyed the show immensely.
In 1958 Norbert and his growing family, by then with six children, moved to the farm located in Gladstone whereby he was a bonded cattle dealer and sold cattle and tractors as a sideline to his TWA employment. He made many friends over the years by way of his cattle and tractor businesses. The first Sunday of every month was always a special time for the family with an uncle bringing down tractors and equipment from around Norbert's hometown in a grain truck, piggy-backing 2 or 3 tractors in the truck and pieces of equipment stuck in and around the tractors filling the truck to overflowing. Norbert and his family would spend half the day using an Oak tree in the front yard with a hand hoist to lift the equipment out first, then the tractors one at a time rolled off into the front yard. Norbert sold the 8N tractors throughout the Kansas City area for over 40 years.
Norbert was known for his great generosity, he enjoyed helping others as he knew what it was like to struggle and having others help him during the early years of his marriage. Norbert was known for pulling cars out of the ditch in front of the farm, never taking any money for doing so. Norbert and his boys would shovel and plow snow from driveways for the widows and elderly around the farm coming in late at night with icicles hanging from his nose and his feet and hands cold as ice.
Norbert loved the farm life and his family. He would tend to various pastures along North Broadway and for doing so he would get the much needed hay off the fields for his cattle. Neighbors would watch in amazement as the tractor and trailer would roll down the road brimming with hay, with two or three kids sitting on the very top waving as they passed by. Many kids enjoyed coming to the farm where Norbert would mow ball diamonds in the field for playing. Norbert built an ice rink near the road for his kids one winter with the kids getting ice skates for Christmas that year. Norbert took his family to the lake during the summers pulling them around on skis for hours. He wasn't one for fishing, but he certainly gave the uncles heck for spending so much time doing nothing and having nothing to show for their efforts. He loved ribbing them. Norbert knew when it was time to work and when it was time to play.
Norbert was very well known in the area for his live animal nativity scene he placed by the road each Christmas Season. Area churches would bring young kids to pet the animals and share with them the life of Christ. Norbert would stare out the window watching the kids giggle and run around pointing at the animals and listening to the donkey hee haw. It was something Norbert and the entire family looked forward to each year. People would stop by the home sharing stories that their parents brought them by years early and now they were sharing the same experience with the children. Norbert and his wife cherished these stories.
Norbert will be missed by many outside of his immediate family. Relatives that number in the hundreds all cherished the times they had at the farm and the hayrides Norbert would give. Pasture parties, bon fires, Outhouse tipping, and building dams in the creek are times that get told at various family functions. What a great man Norbert was. He will be greatly missed by his family, friends and acquaintances. He loved his family, farm, friends, and neighbors - anyone that crossed his path.
Norbert is survived by his wife Helen Louise of 67 years marriage, his 10 children, Norbert F. Reinsch, Jr., Robert M. (Debbie) Reinsch, Nancy Reinsch (Stan) Johnson, Michael J. (Delores) Reinsch, Debra L. (Ed) Dobbins, Linda S. (Greg) Nelson, Douglas R. (Tracy) Reinsch, Jeffrey D. Reinsch, Lori J. (Gary) McKinnie, Frank G. (Carey) Reinsch; and 21 grandchildren and 13 great grandchildren. He is preceeded in death by Grandson: Richard Nelson; Son-in-Law: Stan Johnson; Daughters-in-Law: Tracy Reinsch and Connie Reinsch; Sisters: Mary Christine Zaino, Adelaide McGinney, and Lorena Wenzl.
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