Herman Henry Stark

Obituary

Herman Henry G. Stark was born on the Stark farm in Bismarck Township, Sibley County, on March 31, 1923.  He was the ninth living child of Paulina Wilhelmina nee Lietzau and Herman Henry Stark, Sr.  He was baptized and confirmed at the Tabor Evangelical Church in Bismarck.  His education was obtained at the Bismarck District #70 country school. 

As a youth, Herman worked on the family farm located south of Fernando.  He always had an interest in the old west and western lore.  Many Saturday evenings were spent at the movie theaters in Winthrop, Gibbon, Stewart, and Glencoe watching Roy Rogers, Hop-a-long Cassidy, Gene Autry, and many other B-Western movie stars.  Herman also enjoyed listening to old original country music. 

At the age of 19, he volunteered to serve in the U.S. Army, leaving in December of 1942 and receiving basic training at Fort Knox, Kentucky.  He was then assigned to the 220^th Engineering battalion of the 20^th Armored Division at Fort Campbell, Kentucky.  The Division was being prepared for participation in the Normandy invasion.  He was at this camp for most of the next year while the army was building up troop strength in the Division.  He had responsibility for a truck mounted air compressor that was used for inflating rubber pontoons that were used for constructing temporary bridges for moving troops and equipment across rivers and other waterways.  The floating pontoons were lashed together with steel plates laid across them to serve as a roadbed.  The troops practiced until they could construct a bridge in 3 days.  Herman also trained to ride motorcycles so once deployed he could ride ahead of a column of troops to direct traffic.  Because of a broken ankle, he was left behind when the Division shipped out for the Normandy invasion. 

While in the Army, Herman met and later married Helen Ann Kocur on November 27, 1943.  The ceremony was held in the Fort Campbell, Kentucky, Army Chapel.  The marriage was blessed with 2 children: David (1958) and Pamela (1961).

After his ankle had healed, he was assigned to an infantry company at Camp Hosley, Texas.  Here he received advanced combat training in preparation to go to Europe to participate in the battle of the Bulge.  Subsequently, he was sent to Fort Ord in California where he received jungle combat training.  While there, he served as a military policeman attaining the rank of Sergeant.  He then was sent to Camp Stoneman in the San Francisco Bay area where he waited for final orders to participate in the invasion of Japan.  But as fate would have it, just before he was to ship out atomic bombs were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, thereby cancelling his departure.  Herman remained in the army for 2 more years.

After his discharge in 1945, Herman and Helen first lived for three years on the August Stark farm in Bismarck Township.  They then lived for a short time in Fernando and Brownton followed by moving to Glencoe in 1951, where they lived thereafter.  Herman worked at Glencoe Mills for 38 years, retiring in 1988.  He was a foreman in charge of mixing and processing animal feed for pigs, cattle, fish, etc.  He also worked at the Crystal Theater in Glencoe during the late 60’s and 70’s as a projectionist.  After retiring from Glencoe Mills, he also worked for Uncle Charlie’s Flowers, Sunshine by Sue Flowers, and the Glencoe Enterprise.

Herman was an active and lifelong member of the National Rifle Association and a staunch supporter of the 2^nd Amendment (the right to keep and bear arms).  In keeping with his love of the old west, he also bought and sold collectable knives, belt buckles, cowboy pictures, and other memorabilia at weapons and collector shows throughout Minnesota and neighboring states for over 30 years.  He usually attended at least 40 different shows per year.  He always enjoyed meeting, talking to, and in many cases educating people on the 2^nd Amendment, cowboy and old west trivia, and the items he sold at the weapons shows he attended.

Herman passed away on Wednesday, November 9, 2016, at Abbott Northwestern Hospital in Minneapolis, Minnesota, at the age of 93 years, 7 months and 9 days. 

Blessed be his memory.

Herman is survived by his;
Son, David Stark of Glencoe, MN;
David’s Girlfriend, Deb Krone of Eden Valley, MN;
Sister-In-Law, May Larson Stark of Winthrop, MN;
Many nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends.

Herman is preceded in death by his Parents, Herman Sr. and Paulina Stark; Daughter, Pamela Wright; Former Wife, Helen Stark; 9 of his Siblings, Fred of Gibbon, Viola Nelson of Hutchinson, Alice Doering Heller of Winthrop, Harry of Gibbon, Helen Rettmann and Adelia Perry of Hutchinson, Robert of Buffalo Lake, John of Hutchinson, and Marvin of Winthrop.