Harry "Hank" G. Luetzow
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Harry G. Luetzow was born in Lake Mills, Wisconsin on November 21, 1925, to Harry J. and Emma I. (Wilke) Luetzow. He passed into the arms of Jesus on January 19, 2022 at Shorehaven in Oconomowoc.
He was the youngest of three; his older brother (Harvard) and sister (Lynette Pedersen) as well as their spouses (Harriet and Cecil) predeceased him.
He was born feet first and hit the ground running, so much so that in grade school one teacher assigned him two desks. He grew up in the family meat market and was a constant sidekick of his Grandfather Henry, whose nickname was Hank. Because of this, he earned the moniker "Little Hank".
At age 14 his Grandfather secured a driver's license for him so he could make deliveries for the Market. In High School he boxed, played football and "kittenball". His love of music led him to take piano lessons while his dog "Beans" would lay under the piano bench breaking wind. Because of Beans, his piano teacher resigned, and he then switched to the flute.
After graduating from Lake Mills High School in 1943 he was drafted into the Navy and served aboard LST 474 for 2 1/2 years. His initial assignment was as a spotter on 50mm guns until the head cook learned about his meat cutting knowledge. He then served as a cook for the rest of his time in the Navy. New Guinea, Hollandia, Mindanao, Leyte Gulf and occupied Tokyo were a few of the stops on his service in the South Pacific. They crossed the equator 13 times, survived 2 typhoons, two torpedoes that went under their flat bottom ship, witnessed MacArthur's return to the Philippines and the first Kamikaze attack. In 2012 he was honored for his military service with a trip to Washington DC as a guest of the Badger Honor Flight group.
We were blessed that he came home safe in 1946 and while singing in the church choir at St. Paul's Lutheran church in Lake Mills met his future wife, our mother, Frieda Blase. Hank and Frieda were married on October 10, 1949 and were blessed with two sons, Tom (Sue) and Tim (Lori), 5 grandchildren and 15 great grandchildren. Frieda went home to be with her Savior in 2016 but not before celebrating 66 years of marriage on the day of her youngest granddaughter's wedding.
Dad was a lifelong member of St. Paul Lutheran Church, resident of Lake Mills and a 75 year member of the American Legion Post 67 in Lake Mills. He and his brother were the third generation to own the family meat market in downtown Lake Mills until increased regulations forced its closure in 1968. He then went to work at Stoppenbach's, later Jefferson Meats and Tyson in Jefferson while also driving School Bus for the Lake Mills School district and volunteering to mow the campus at Lakeside Lutheran High School.
He served on various Church Boards, ushered and sang in the choir as well as played dartball. He and Mom were regular attendees of sporting events and concerts at Lakeside where they made many friends and "adopted" many students and teachers.
Card games were his forte, learning to play, and teaching us to play cribbage, euchre, sheepshead, and 500 at an early age. We learned to count, add, and subtract by playing cribbage.
Dad instilled in us a love of God, family, country, hard work and humble service and exemplified the definition of the "greatest generation".
Memorials may be made to St. Paul Lutheran Church or Lakeside Lutheran High School in Lake Mills or The Badger Honor Flight group in Madison.
Thank you to all the nurses and doctors at Fort Health Care, Shorehaven and his caregivers at Christian Servants, as well as Pastors McKenney, Tomhave and Nass, your care, support, and love are greatly appreciated.
Visitation will be held at St. Paul Lutheran Church in Lake Mills on Saturday January 22 from Noon until the service at 2:00PM. Burial with Military graveside rites will follow at the St. Paul Ev. Lutheran Cemetery.
www.claussenfuneralhome.com