Harold Louis Linnemeier

Harold Louis Linnemeier, 88, of Fort Wayne, passed away on Monday, November 16, 2020. He was born to the late Herbert and Bertha (Thiele) Linnemeier on June 10, 1932 in Fort Wayne. Harold grew up on the family farm. He graduated from Arcola High School in 1950. In 1952, he enlisted in the US Army and was sent to Ft. Knox, KY. Thinking he was going to be sent to Korea for the war, Harold hastily married his high school sweetheart, Mary Gerding in April of 1953. Though he was never sent to Korea, they remained married until Mary’s death in 2010 (57 years). After his military service, Harold worked in Fort Wayne at Wayne Feeds and sold products for the Watkins company. For most of his career, Harold worked at various dairies in the Fort Wayne area, moving from one to another due to consolidation in the industry. For almost 40 years, he worked at Flaugh, Tonne, Allen and Prairie Farms Dairies first as a retail driver and then later as a wholesale driver. When he retired from the dairy, Harold worked as a courtesy driver for O'Daniel Automotive for many years. After he retired, Mary would always be amazed at the number of people that knew Harold and were happy to see him. A lifelong member of Suburban Bethlehem Lutheran Church, Harold held several positions within the church including Sunday school teacher and superintendent, usher, elder and offering counter. For several years, he and Mary were even the janitors for the church and the school. Church life lead to other activities. For several years, Harold served on the board of directors for Worship Anew, a Lutheran television ministry. He played on the church fast pitch softball team in his early adult years. Harold bowled in leagues for over 50 years on a team formed with other members of the church. Later in life, he also played on the church dartball team. Harold loved time with his family. He was always willing to talk about his children and grandchildren’s accomplishments. He loved to fish and would take the family fishing on his days off from work in the summer. Euchre was a staple in the Linnemeier family and Harold continued this, playing with family and friends. In his spare time, Harold took up woodworking, making wall hangings and Christmas related yard signs. Harold is survived by his children, Gary (Maggie) Linnemeier and Wendy (Ken) Finner; grandchildren, Erin McNeil, Derek (Abigail) Lorenzen, Melanie Linnemeier, and Anton Linnemeier; great-granddaughter, Ruth Lorenzen; and sister, Marilyn Link. He was preceded in death by his wife, Mary Linnemeier; and siblings, Donald Linnemeier and Darlene Smith. A funeral service will be held on Monday, November 23, 2020 at 10:00 am with visitation one-hour prior at Suburban Bethlehem Lutheran Church (6318 W California Road, Fort Wayne, IN 46818). The service will be livestreamed on Greenlawn Memorial Park's Facebook Page. Visitation will also be at the church on Sunday, November 22, 2020 from 2:00 pm to 6:00 pm. Social distancing guidelines will be followed and only 25 people can be present at a time. Burial will follow the service at Greenlawn Memorial Park. Memorial contributions may be made to Suburban Bethlehem Lutheran Church Building Fund or Worship Anew.