Henry A. Niemeyer

Henry A. Niemeyer, 85 year old resident of Long Prairie, MN passed away Sunday, January 7, 2018 at the Long Prairie Hospital in Long Prairie, MN. Funeral services were held at 11:00 A.M. on Saturday, January 13, 2018, at the Swanville Bible Church in Swanville, MN with Rev. Mike Gunnon officiating. Burial took place at Moses Dane Cemetery in Burtrum, MN.
Henry (Hank) Albert Niemeyer, son of Otto and Meta (Hansmann), was born September 12, 1932 one-half mile north of Long Prairie, Minnesota. In 1942 the family moved to Long Lake near Burtrum to establish their family farm. Following graduation from Swanville High School in 1951, Henry was on the farm and drove milk truck until 1953, when he was drafted into the Army. He served his time at Manheim, Germany until his discharge in the spring of 1955. He attended Telegraph School and worked in St Paul, Minnesota until completion of that training. On July 25, 1959 he married Leona Mae Palm of Swanville, Minnesota. After living briefly in Fargo, North Dakota and St Paul, they moved to Glendive, Montana in 1959, where he worked for the railroad as a telegrapher/wire chief, concluding his time in the material department in 1993. Henry also used his sheet metal skills working part-time for 25 years at Wagner’s Heating and Plumbing.
During the years spent in Glendive, Henry and Leona welcomed and raised four children. Henry held various board positions at the First Congregational Church, U.C.C. and enjoyed reading westerns. Family time included deer hunting and the annual vacation to Minnesota to spend time with family, enjoying the farm, and fishing. A hobby farm south of Long Prairie (with green tractors and his Sheltie dog, Micah), was their pride and joy, along with the addition of five grandchildren. Days were enjoyed maintaining a large yard and garden, listening to old time music, ice fishing, playing cards, working jigsaw puzzles and meals with friends and family, until 2014 when the decision was made to move into town.
Henry was preceded in death by parents, Otto and Meta; sister, Huldena Roste; brothers, August, Marcus, Herman, Earl, Orville, Harlan and John. He is survived by sisters Ann Burger and Beatrice Rahn and sisters-in-law Doris, Geneva, and Lola.
Left to cherish his memory are his wife Leona; children, Nancy, (Terry) Pedersen, Sharon (Thomas) Neel, Gayle Zickuhr and Kevin (Jolee) Niemeyer; grandchildren, Breanne and Emily Neel, Chelsey and Kyle Niemeyer and Nicholas Zickuhr; along with numerous nephews, nieces, and cousins.