William (Bill) Lohmeier was born in Rush City, Minnesota in 1932 to Harold Lohmeier and Florence Lohmeier (Paquette). He grew up on their “rock farm” with his brother Jim and twin sisters Mary and Betty.
He attended Stillwater High School (class of 1950) where he was a standout athlete, National Honor Society member, and involved in numerous other activities including chorus, Glee Club, and Letterman’s club (football and baseball). Following high school, Bill attended Wabash College on an academic scholarship, during which time he was drafted into the US Army. He was honorably discharged due to an injury and returned to Wabash in 1954.
Always the eternal salesman, Bill joined Dunn and Bradstreet and called on businesses in the Minneapolis / St. Paul area as a young reporter. It was at this job in 1955 that Bill met the most beautiful woman in the world, the love of his life and future wife, Barbara (Weinzettel), who was also working at the company. They married in 1956.
This is where one of the greatest love stories of all time and the amazing family journey and legacy begins. After their first three children were born (Bill, Dan, and Gary) in Minnesota, they packed up their car and drove out west and fell in love with Arizona.
After starting his own photofinishing business in Minnesota (Midwest Photo) Bill decided to “always be his own boss”. In Arizona his entrepreneurial spirit continued and truly blossomed. He created the Photo Corral (photofinishing) and Sentiment Shops (card and gift stores) in Tucson. As Bill saw the “Big Box” stores taking over the market, he started Lohmeier Associates which was a successful southwestern gift distributorship.
A loving husband and father, heavily involved in the Catholic Church, Bill and Barb had four more children (John, Mary Jo, Rob, and Joe).
While Barb was pregnant with #7 in 1972, Bill was diagnosed with Stage 4 cancer and was told to “get your affairs in order”, as he only had a few weeks to live. Through his belief in God and with prayers from family and friends, including a hands-on prayer session, Bill felt a healing heat throughout his body and was miraculously cured.
After starting from nothing and building numerous successful businesses, Bill sold his last business in 2008, retiring at age 75 to enjoy his remaining years in Prescott, AZ, where Bill and Barb moved to in 1996.
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