Harry A. Leonhardt, 11 Jul 1918 - 17 Apr 2016

LEONHARDT, REIHMANN, LUFT, RETTIG, HOUSER, HERTEL

Posted By: Sandy Ficken (email)
Date: 5/12/2016 at 15:50:15

Harry A. Leonhardt, age 97, of Amana, Iowa, died on Sunday, April 17, 2016, at Mercy Hospital, Cedar Rapids. Funeral Services will be at 2 p.m. Saturday, April 23, 2016, at the Middle Amana Community Church in Middle Amana with Elder Kristie Yoder officiating. Burial will be in the Middle Amana Cemetery with military honors. The family will receive friends from 1 -2 PM Saturday at the church.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Disabled American Veterans (DAV).

Kloster Funeral Home, Marengo is assisting the family with arrangements.

Survivors include a son, Mark (Tami), of Columbia, South Carolina; three grandchildren, Eric, of College Station, Texas, Tori and Nicholas of Columbia, South Carolina; a sister, Rose Leonhardt, Amana; a nephew, Larry Rettig (Wilma) South Amana; a niece, Rosemary Houser (David), of Moatsville, WV; a nephew, Douglas Leonhardt (Janet), Cedar Rapids, a nephew David Leonhardt of Kansas City, MO, and a niece, Ellen Leonhardt, Cedar Rapids.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Ferdinand and Minnie [Reihmann], his wife, Anne, a sister, Lina, a brother, Elmer and a niece, Bonnie (Rettig) Hertel.

Harry Allen Leonhardt was born on July 11, 1918, in Middle Amana, IA, the son of Ferdinand and Minnie Reihmann Leonhardt. He attended High School in Marengo for two years and after the building of the Amana High School in Middle, he was with the first Amana graduating class of ‘36.

In April of 1941, he was the second one from the Amanas called for the draft during World War II. He received training in the medical core and was stationed in San Francisco at the Presidio. After 17 months, he went to Officer’s Candidate School at Fort Knox, Kentucky, and received training as a tank commander, graduating as a second lieutenant. He served with the 778th tank battalion of the US Third Army. He received a battlefield promotion to 1st Lieutenant and was also awarded a silver star and bronze star medal for gallantry in action.

Near the end of the war he met his future wife, Anne [Luft], in Oberplan, Sudetenland, what is now the Czech Republic. After Anne received orders to report to a labor camp, he smuggled her out of the country into Linz, Austria, where her family, after escaping, came to meet her. Anne came to America in 1947 as part of the War Brides Act and they were married on June 21st, 1947. They were married until Anne’s passing in March of this year for almost 69 years.

Harry worked most of his career at Iowa Pipe and Supply Company and later Plumb Supply Company until age 68. At age 69 he began his second career as a broom maker at The Broom and Basket Shop in West Amana until his early 90’s.

Harry enjoyed scouting and was a Boy Scouts of America leader until his early 90’s. After returning from the war he decided to complete his Eagle Scout requirements and in 1957, at the age of 39, was awarded the rank of Eagle Scout. He started three generations of Eagle Scouts as his son, Mark and grandsons, Eric and Nicholas have also achieved the rank of Eagle Scout.

Harry also enjoyed hunting and fishing, and music; playing guitar, violin, harmonica and singing. He and his wife performed in many traditional German performances in the Amanas for many years. He and Anne also enjoyed playing bridge.

Harry was a lifetime member of the American Legion Post 76.

Harry was a wonderful husband, brother, father and grandfather, whose memory will be cherished by all who knew and loved him.

Kloster Funeral Home
The Gazette, 21 Apr 2016, 8a
The Journal Tribune, 27 Apr 2016, pg 5