RUNGE, Henry August "Max" 1892-1965

RUNGE, KIRCHGATTER, WIRTJES, GALLUP, WEAVERLING, KLINETOP

Posted By: Diane M Scott (email)
Date: 1/30/2011 at 09:57:15

Henry August”Max” Runge 1892-1965

#1
Funeral Services for Max Runge, 73, Nora Springs, were on Tuesday, 2:00 p.m. at St. Lukes Lutheran Church, Nora Springs, with burial at Park Cemetery. He died Saturday morning at a rest home in Mason City where he had been a patient for a week.

Henry August Maxmillian “Max” Runge was born March 12, 1892, in Mitchell County, the son of Emil Runge and Minnie Wilde. He farmed in the St. Ansgar vicinity until his retirement, when he moved to Nora Springs.

Survivors include his wife, Emma, one son, Virgil, Nora Springs, four daughters, Hazel Wirtjes and Mrs. Harry Gallup, both of Nora Springs, Mrs. Loren Weaverling, Mason City and Mrs. Allen Klinetop, Charles City, also six grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

Tuesday June 22, 1965
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#2
Max and Emma started farming on the Emil Runge Sr. farm, which was located in Rock Creek township in MItchell County St. Ansgar, Iowa. It was seven miles Southwest of St. Ansgar or five miles East of Grafton, Iowa. All that remained for the last few years was one tall evergreen tree in the field where the farmstead was, which was also disposed of.

Virgil and Hazel Runge started country school and were taught German for a few years. They lived near the Rock Creek Lutheran Church, which still stands today. In 1927, they moved South of Grafton on the Kirchgatter Farm. This is the farm and house that was built by August and Ida Kirchgatter and where Arlene Runge Klinetop was born.

In 1938 they moved back to St. Ansgar after this farm was sold. They moved just a half mile East of the Old Kirchgatter Homestead. They met many of their cousins while living at this place.

In 1940, they moved to the Caroline and Elvina Erickson Sister's Farm. It was a cold and drafty old house but they made do with what they had and enjoyed living there very much. They had a creek running below the house, just across the driveway and through the pasture. Arlene spent a lot of time building rock dams in the sandy bottom, knowing it would just wash out when it rained.

Max was a hard worker, especially on the farm. He had cattle and pigs. Virgil had the horses and colts. In 1937, Max bought a new Theiman tractor, needless to say it was a source of trouble for them. The flax field Max would raise was a beautiful sight when it was in bloom. A sea of bright blue, little flax blossoms as far up the hill as you could see.

In 1945, Max bought a new John Deere tractor. He was so proud of this green machine. He had this tractor until his retirement in March 1949. The children had lots of fun on the farm as it was a pleasant place to live and they received company from as far away as California, North Dakota, South Dakota and Minnesota, which they enjoyed very much.

Max was always a cheerful person. He had his old accordian (until it fell apart) and would play a few songs on it now and then. Sometimes if he had not played it for a while, he would go upstairs in one of the rooms and shut the door to practice. It always came back to him. He also played on the piano. They liked to hear him play either one.

After Max retired, he liked to fish. He would smoke fish for friends and neighbors. He had his own recipe/formula for flavoring the brine, one was a little brown sugar. It was always very tasty. His children still speak of it yet and wish he were here to smoke some of their big King and Co-ho salmon.

Max and Emma helped their daughter Arlene and her husband build their home. They all looked forward to getting together and helping with the building. Max would be happy as a lark singing, sometimes in German. He had quite a few songs to sing. Arlene's husband, Allan, did not understand German, but they often heard him laughing as he worked together with Max. He was a wonderful father to his children and to all that knew him he was a very dear friend.

Max was very seldom sick in his lifetime until the last three weeks. He had a series of strokes every 3 to 4 days. Each one paralized more and more until he fell into a coma. He seemed to rest comfortably in the nursing home for the two weeks he was there. He did rally once from the coma while Emma and Arlene were there, but quickly drifted off never to return again. He passed away on June 19, 1965. Emma passed away on January 30, 1982.

Grandpa Emil Runge Sr. would at times walk with his hands clasped behind him, a bit stoop shouldered. He had a beautiful head of white hair and a moustache of snow white also.

Source: a story found on a family tree.Ancestry
Note* Henry married Emma Kirchgatter, the daughter of August and Ida (Lisse) Kirchgatter.