Harold Paul Hemmesch

May 14, 1926 – July 10, 2011 Mass of Christian Burial will be 11:00 a.m. Friday, July 15, 2011 at Sts. Peter & Paul Catholic Church in Richmond, MN for Harold Hemmesch, age 85, who died Sunday at the St. Cloud Hospital. Burial will be in the parish cemetery. Relatives and friends may call after 4:00 p.m. Thursday, July 14, 2011 at the Wenner Funeral Home at 151 Oakwood Ave. SE, Richmond. Parish Prayers will be at 4 p.m. followed by a rosary with the Knights of Columbus, Catholic United Financial, St. Wendelin and St. Rose of Lima Mission Groups and Richmond Seniors. The Father Pierz Assembly of St. Cloud Fourth Degree Knights of Columbus will stand Honor Guard from 5:00 - 8:00 p.m. with prayers at 8 p.m. Visitation will continue from 9:00 – 10:30 a.m. on Friday at the funeral home. Harold was born in Richmond, Minnesota to Henry and Margaret (Fienhage) Hemmesch. He married Leona Catherine (Ruegemer) on September 6, 1948, in Sts. Peter and Paul Catholic Church of Richmond, Minnesota. His entire life, Harold farmed in the Richmond area which included custom farming, plowing local gardens, selling seed corn, and a backhoe service. For fifty years, he tended to digging graves at the local cemeteries, sold monuments and he took great pride in the Sts. Peter & Paul Parish Cemetery. Harold was very involved in many community organizations. He proudly ushered in church, started the Knights of Columbus #8303 in Richmond and was passionate about playing cards anywhere possible. Survivors include his wife, Leona Catherine (Ruegemer) of 62 years; children, Jerome Hemmesch of St. Cloud, Margee (Walt) Keller of Crookston, Janet (Nick) Keller of Richmond, Tom (Renae) Hemmesch of Richmond, Ann Lucas of Wichita Falls, TX, Barbara (Mathew) Walz of Cold Spring, George (Joni) Hemmesch of Richmond, Sue (Pete) Dingmann of St. Martin, Victor (Beth) Hemmesch of Richmond, Linda (Robert) Schmitz of Cold Spring, Joyce (Jim) Backes of Richmond and James (Sheila) Hemmesch of Richmond. Surviving brothers are Edward Hemmesch, Alex (Frances) Hemmesch, and Cyril (Esther) Hemmesch, all of Richmond. Brothers-in-law, Donald (Lorraine) Jungles of Cold Spring, Ralph (Mary Jane) Jungles of Richville; along with 34 grandchildren and 18 great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his parents Henry and Margaret (Fienhage) Hemmesch, infant sons, Michael (1952) and Elmer (1956); brothers, Ervin Hemmesch and Norbert Hemmesch; sister, Loretta Klehr; brother-in-law Erwin Klehr, sisters-in-law Aegidia (Rothstein) Hemmesch, Leona (Rothstein) Hemmesch, and Mildred (Jungels) Hemmesch; sons-in-law David Stang and Robert Lucas. In lieu of flowers, memorials are preferred to Keller Family Community Foundation (Cancer Foundation), Sts. Peter & Paul School or Sts. Peter & Paul Cemetery Fund.