Kleihauer, Harlan Harold 1957-2019

KLEIHAUER, LAMMERS, GOODRICH

Posted By: Doris Hoffman, Volunteer (email)
Date: 4/28/2021 at 19:24:59

Note: His mother's maiden name was Lammers.

Harlan Kleihauer

July 24, 1957 - July 17, 2019

Harlan's Obituary

Harlan Harold Kleihauer, 61, of Elk Point, South Dakota passed away in an automobile accident on July 17, 2019.

Funeral Service will be 10:30 a.m., Tuesday, July 23, 2019 at Trinity Lutheran Church in Akron, Iowa. Burial will be at Riverside Cemetery in Akron. Visitation with the family present will begin at 4:00 p.m., with a Prayer Service at 7:00 p.m., all on Monday, July 22, 2019 at Rexwinkel-Schroeder Funeral Home in Akron.

Harlan was the second child born to Harold and Eldora Kleihauer on July 24, 1957 in Akron, IA. As a young man, he shelled corn and shocked/thrashed small grain for many in the community. Through his labor, he developed the strength and skill to throw square bales higher than most. While working with his dad and brother, he gained mechanical skills to overhaul and repair most farm equipment. He graduated from Akron High School in 1975 and proceeded to work for Melvin Hitzemann and Ray Heeren as a hired man. He later was employed with Alkota in Alcester, SD and Load King in Elk Point, SD. He used his hard earned money to purchase a 1970 Chevelle, silver with two black racing stripes. He enjoyed washing and waxing it every weekend so he could show it off while cruising the local town loops. In 1979, a close friend, Herb Lias, introduced Harlan to his future wife, Mary Goodrich of Hawarden, IA, at the Knotty Keg in Westfield, IA. They fell in love and Harlan proposed at the Milwaukee wiener shop in Sioux City and were married a year later at the Trinity Lutheran Church in Akron, IA. The newly married couple rented the Art Arehns farm west of Akron and made it their new home. Now, Mary was a city girl and so Harlan had his hands full introducing her to farm life! They raised corn, beans, oats, alfalfa, cattle, chickens, and hogs so every day was an adventure. They also enjoyed going to car races, spending holidays with extended family, and travelling to Faith, SD to see Harlan’s grandparents on their ranch and attending livestock sales at the local sale barn. In 1985, Harlan was able to purchase the farm and he and Mary celebrated the birth of a beautiful baby girl named Sarah. Harlan loved to show Sarah off when he and Mary attended ballroom dancing lessons in Hawarden, IA. But, in 1990, his real pride and joy was born, his son Kevin. He was so proud that when he came home that night from the hospital, he had to stop at the end of the driveway and put the sign “It’s a Boy!” in the ground with his boot! There was no doubt these kids were brought into a farming family as their first toys were tractors, and of course they were Case IH red! As his kids grew, Harlan always made it a priority to support them by attending any school or sports activities they were involved in. Whatever his kids’ passions were, Harlan did everything in his power to help them pursue them. He loved playing ball with Sarah and Kevin and getting his friends together on the weekends to play ball.

To continue making improvements on the farm as well as build a new house, Harlan took a night shift job at Wells Blue Bunny in Le Mars, IA where he worked for 7 years. During this time, he burned the candle at both ends, working at Wells from around 7 p.m. to 6 a.m., sleeping for a couple hours, doing chores and any other farm work needing to be done, and then heading back to Wells once again. By this time, Kevin was old enough to take an active role in doing chores and helping Harlan with field work. Kevin learned a lot in a short amount of time and was soon able to manage more aspects of the farm on his own.

In February 2005, while heading to Wells for work one night, Harlan hit a patch of black ice and rolled his car into a field. The accident left him paralyzed from his chest down but he was determined to keep working on the farm. Using a cherry picker and harness, Harlan was able to get into tractors and help Kevin farm for several years. As time passed, Harlan advised Kevin on farm practices and management decisions with the intention of passing his farm on.

To his family, Harlan was superman. He could fix anything, solve any problem, build anything, and help with homework. It was important to him to pass on knowledge to his children he gained through challenges he had faced in life. His advice may have been shared in a “tough love” manner, but it was love nonetheless. He was a strong believer in the saying “If you’re going to do something, do it right.” If you set out to do something, you should see it through and do it to the best of your ability.

Survivors include his children: Kevin Kleihauer of Elk Point, SD, Sarah (Dean) Mormann of Bloomfield, NE; his ex-wife: Mary Kleihauer of Hawarden, IA; his brother: Gordon (Rita) Kleihauer of Akron, IA; his sister: Audrey (Bob) Hubner of Pipestone, MN; his brother-in-law: Ron Thompson of Sioux City, IA; his aunts: Donna Kleihauer of Le Mars, IA, and Lois Cotton of Rantoul, IL; and several nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Harold and Eldora Kleihauer; his sister: Ardith Thompson; two uncles: Delmer and Kenneth; and his cousin, Roger Kleihauer.

Rexwinkel Funeral Home
Akron, Iowa