Henry Hermann Reichardt

Henry Reichardt was born in Magdeburg, Germany on February 3, 1933 to Otto and Martha Reichardt. His father worked as a delivery truck driver and his mother dearly and caringly took care of Henry. He was the youngest of three children, which included his oldest sister Gerda Nauendorf, and his older brother Horst Reichardt. Henry demonstrated resilience through a difficult childhood witnessing things a child should never see. This included separation from his mother during World War II, where he spent time at a boys' school in the Harz mountains to protect him from the bombing in the city of Magdeburg. In 1946, at the age of 13, he lost his dear mother to pneumonia, who neglected her own needs to provide for her son. A year later, his father remarried a family friend, so that Henry would have a mother to take care of him. Around fifteen, Henry took an apprenticeship as a cabinet worker. Anybody who saw his masterful work, witnessed his exquisite and meticulous craftsmanship. At the end of the war, Magdeburg was occupied by the Soviet Union. During his time in East Germany, he participated in a worker's strike on June 17, 1953. The strike began in Berlin and extended to other cities in East Germany, which included his home town of Magdeburg. When Soviet tanks came down the streets to suppress the uprising, 20-year- old Henry had to escape down one of the alleyways to avoid imprisonment or death. After the strike, he went to work, and his employer fired him immediately for his participation in the strike. As a result of this dangerous situation, his father told him to flee to West Germany and join his older brother. Eventually he relocated to the city of Mannheim in West Germany and played for a European Handball Club and in his late twenties he met the love of his life, Barbara Kayser. She went over to West Germany to study at Heidelberg University, and stayed with relatives in the city of Hockenheim. Through some matchmaking of Henry's older brother's wife, Ruth Reichardt, Henry met Barbara. Ruth's matchmaking succeeded, and Barbara and Henry got married at the Evangelische Kirche, a Lutheran church in Hockenheim. While Barbara felt at home, both in Germany and the US, Henry decided he did not want his children to experience the hardships he endured during World War II. With that in mind, he decided to immigrate to the US with his pregnant wife on a cruise ship. In 1963, his journey in the US took them from Long Island, NY, to a small farm town in Lena, Illinois. After a few months in Lena, Henry and Barabara moved to a basement apartment in a little house in south Minneapolis, where Henry worked as a pattern maker for a shop. Later they moved to Bloomington, Minnesota, where Henry worked faithfully and loyally as a pattern maker for Hitchcock Industries for about 30 years. Henry was a hard and persistent worker, well kept and neat, and provided for his family of four children. He was faithful to his wife of 55 years. He also served as an usher at church, where he regularly attended. During mornings, he would take prayer walks to spend time with his precious Lord. On September 4, 2024, after suffering pulmonary edema and receiving medication from the hospital, he returned to his residence. Henry laid down on a couch in his favorite sun room, fell asleep, and peacefully returned to his Lord. Henry was preceded in death by his wife Barbara Reichart, his daughters Margot Dahl and Heather Reichardt, his brother Horst Reichardt (Ruth), and sister Gerda Nauendorf (Gustav). Henry was survived by his son Dirk Reichardt (Sharon) of Eden Prairie, MN and daughter Erika Rautio (Troy) of International Falls, MN and son-in-law Randy Dahl of Kennedy, MN. His beloved grandchildren, Heath Dahl (Ana) of Rochester, MN, Naomi Dahl of Plymouth, MN, Ian Rautio of International Falls, MN, Lauren Fisher (Riley) of Salt Lake City, UT, Grant Reichardt of Eden Prairie, MN, Justin Reichardt of Eden Prairie, MN, Kyra Reichardt of Eden Prairie, MN and Erika Reichardt of Eden Prairie, MN. A celebration of life service will be held on Monday September 9, 2024 at 11:00 am at St. Michael's Lutheran Church, 9201 Normandale Blvd, Bloomington, MN 55437. A visitation will be held prior to the service at 10:00 am. A special thank you to Ridgeview Assisted Living in International Falls, MN where Henry spent the last 2 ½ years of his life. They treated him like family with dignity, love, respect and kindness. Memorial donations in honor of Henry Reichardt may be made to: Ridgeview Assisted Living 2020 Ridgeview Drive International Falls, MN 56649

Tributes

Henry Hermann Reichardt

February 3, 1933 - September 4, 2024

Tributes

Henry Hermann Reichardt

February 3, 1933 - September 4, 2024

We are here for you 24x7

Call us and get help now

(612) 377-2203