Harvey Hemme

HARVEY L. HEMME was born to Karl and Caroline Marie [Woodrich] Hemme on December 11, 1926, in Garretson, South Dakota. He grew up on a farm in Rosedell Township near Sherman. He went to District 70 Country School for three years, Sherman School for 8 years, and finished his final year at Jasper High School, where he graduated in 1944. Following graduation, he stayed and helped on the family farm until joining the army in 1946. He took basic training at Camp Polk, Louisiana. He then spent a short time at Camp Stoneman in California before being deployed to Japan. He worked as a clerk in Headquarters at Kobe Base, in Kobe, Japan. He was discharged in 1947 with the rank of T/5 at Camp Beale, California. Harvey returned home and was united in marriage to Selma Yesda on November 16, 1950, in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. From 1952 through 1981, the couple farmed in Springwater Township near Sherman, South Dakota. They then lived in Garretson, South Dakota, for a couple years before moving to Sioux Falls. In January of 2005, Harvey became a resident of the Minnesota Veteran’s Home in Luverne, Minnesota, where on Friday, September 2, 2016 he died peacefully at the age of 89 years, 8 months and 22 days.

Harvey enjoyed farming; he said he loved to be out in the “wide open”. He also enjoyed listening to polka music and dancing the polka.

Harvey is survived by his daughter, Jackie (Scott) Hansen of Box Elder, South Dakota; one granddaughter, Beth (Tom) Zimmerman of Summerset, South Dakota, and their daughters, Zoe and London; sister-in-law, Katie Hemme of Jasper, Minnesota; and several nieces, nephews and other relatives. He was preceded in death by his wife, Selma; his parents; brother, Calvin Hemme; and other relatives.