Harnold "Harn" Fred Rettmer

Harnold “Harn” F. Rettmer, age 97, of Willmar, passed away peacefully Tuesday morning, September 6th, at his residence on Eagle Lake.

Funeral services will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Tuesday, September 13th, at the First Presbyterian Church in Willmar.  Interment will be at Fairview Cemetery with military honors provided by the Henderson-Lewis American Legion Post #545 of Spicer.  Visitation will be from 5-7 p.m. with a Masonic Service at 7 p.m. on Monday, September 12th, at the Peterson Brothers Funeral Home in Willmar.  Visitation will also continue for one hour prior to the service at the church on Tuesday.  Arrangements are entrusted to the Peterson Brothers Funeral Home.  www.petersonbrothers.com

Harn was born on January 3rd, 1925, in Tracy, Minnesota, the son of Fred and Mamie (Nauertz) Rettmer.  He grew up in Tracy and in 1940 moved to Willmar.  He graduated from Willmar High School in 1943 and then entered the U.S. Army during World War II and served in China, India and Burma where he built airstrips for the planes flying “Over The Hump”.  On September 28th, 1947, in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, Harn was united in marriage to the love of his life, Carol Maurine Paulsness.  They made their home in Willmar where he worked for Webb Oil Company driving a fuel truck.  He later was employed briefly at Boeing Aircraft and then at Vulcan Materials Chemical Company in Wichita, Kansas and Geismar, Louisiana.  He retired in 1987 and they moved to their home on Eagle Lake near Willmar.  Harn was an active member in the Presbyterian churches where he lived.  He was a 32nd degree Mason and served on the board of directors at the Willmar Area Shrine Club.  He was a life member of the V.F.W. Post and American Legion Post and was active with the Henderson-Lewis American Legion Post #545 in Spicer.  Cooking was his passion, and he also loved the outdoors, especially hunting and fishing.  He belonged to the Willmar R/C Club and was a master at building remote control planes and model ships.

He is survived by his three loving daughters, Renee (and Tom) Sawyer of Wichita, KS., Robin Rettmer (and Dari Harari) of Tucson, AZ., and Rhonda (and David) Quisenberry of Phoenix, AZ.; five grandchildren and ten great grandchildren, besides other relatives and many friends.

He was preceded in death by his parents; his wife, Carol in 2007 and one brother, Curt.