Elmer Armknecht

Elmer Virgil Armknecht, one of two children of John and Sara (Cowden) Armknecht, was born November 26, 1926 in Tecumseh, Nebraska. He was baptized and confirmed at Immanuel Lutheran Church in Cook, Nebraska. Elmer attended Pleasant Hill country school near Cook, and graduated from Tecumseh High School in 1945.

On December 17, 1946 Elmer was married to Norma Jean Marshall in Marysville, Kansas. They were blessed with four sons: Elmer, Jr., Daryl, Fred, and Gary. The couple later divorced. On February 1, 1988 Elmer was united in marriage to Victoria Fortugaleza in the United Church of Christ in the Philippines. They made their home in Auburn, Nebraska. During their time together, they enjoyed many trips within the United States and abroad.

Elmer was a longtime farmer in Johnson County, and enjoyed being out in the fields on his tractor, usually listening to polka music on the radio. For a number of years he worked the winter months at Hopper Brothers Quarry near Auburn, and earlier in his life had worked as a welder during the construction of the elevator in Tecumseh. Elmer also used his welding skills to help neighbors with repairs to their equipment, never asking for anything in return.

Elmer was a member of St. Paul Lutheran Church in Auburn, and had also belonged to the National Farmers Organization. He enjoyed his CB Radio during its heyday, and also liked to fish and hunt when he was able. Elmer was a collector of international coins and stamps, and loved his polka music. Elmer was always a charitable man, and that was shown best when the library in Victoria?s hometown burned. He donated and shipped at his expense thousands of books to the Philippines so a new library could be opened.

After Victoria?s death in 2004, Elmer was able to stay at his home in Auburn until April of 2010, thanks to Home Health care and Jeff Dettmann. He then became a resident of the Good Samaritan Society-Auburn, and after some hospital stays passed away at Good Samaritan on Saturday, June 5, 2010 at the age of 83 years, 6 months, and 10 days. In addition to Victoria and his parents, Elmer was preceded in death by his granddaughter Angie.

Those left to mourn his passing are his sons and daughters-in-law Elmer, Jr. and Mary Jo of Johnson; Daryl and Sudaphorn of Tecumseh; Fred and Pam of Johnson; Gary and Martha of Auburn; 9 grandchildren; 21 great-grandchildren; sister MaryLou Clark of Lincoln; nephew Rick Johns and wife Janice of Denton; great-nieces and great-nephews; other relatives and many friends.

Memorial services will be Thursday, June 10, 2:00 p.m. at St. Paul Lutheran Church in Auburn, officiated by Rev. Bud Christenson. Donna Caspers will be organist for congregational hymns, and Jeff Dettmann will be urnbearer. Inurnment of ashes will be in St. Paul Lutheran Cemetery near Auburn. Memorials are suggested to family choice.