Walter Brinkmeyer

WALTER HERMAN BRINKMEYER was born on April 8, 1927 to Emil and Alvina (Conrad) Brinkmeyer on their family farm near Ihlen in Eden Township, Minnesota. Walt was baptized in the Lutheran faith in Jasper, Minnesota and was confirmed at St. James Lutheran in Holland, Minnesota. When Walt was one year old, he moved with his family to a farm near Holland, which still remains the family farm. He attended country school District #28 until the 8th grade when he began farming with his father. On September 14, 1948, Walt was united in marriage to Gladys Ehlers in Flandreau, South Dakota. They continued to live on the farm near Holland where they raised their three children: Harold, Alvin and Audrey. In 1970, Alvin and Harold began farming with Walt, naming the operation, Brinkmeyer Farms; farming the land and milking dairy cows until 2004 when they quit milking and started raising beef cattle. Walt mastered the auto steer on his big John Deere Tractor, he was not afraid of technology; he began farming with a horse and ended with auto steer and a cell phone! For 86 years, Walt did 90% of the tillage; he checked the pasture fences every morning, talked daily to his neighbors and checked on his grandsons by Ruthton, Minnesota. Walt needed some assistance in and out of the tractor, but he was still in the fields doing what he loved this past fall. Walt loved the land, loved his cows and most of all loved his family. Very seldom did a day go by that Walt wasn't in the field or driving around in his truck. It meant the world to him when his great-grandchildren would come and harvest with him. After Walt was unable to drive anymore, he knew that he needed more help and in November of 2013, he moved into the Good Samaritan Communities of Pipestone where he lived until his death on Thursday, January 2, 2014 at the age of 86 years.

Walt was a life-time member of the St. James Lutheran Church in Holland and he was a long-time member of the Fountain Prairie Township Board. Walt enjoyed snowmobiling in the winter. They would take one or two trips up north and to Yellowstone. When snowmobiling, Walt was always the leader!

Walt is lovingly remembered by his children, Harold (Margaret) Brinkmeyer of Holland, Minnesota and Audrey (Jim) Fritz of Holland, Minnesota; grandchildren, Brenda (Corey) Furst of Victoria, Minnesota, Katie (Mike) Wiese of Pipestone, Minnesota, Matt 'JR' (Kelly) Brinkmeyer of Holland, Minnesota, Heather (Brad) Hiniker of Pipestone, Minnesota, Holly (Danny) Vos of Hendricks, Minneosta, Cody Fritz of Ruthton, Minnesota, Casey Fritz of Ruthton, Minnesota and Carly Fritz of Holland, Minnesota; 9 great-grandchildren; nieces, nephews and extended family and friends. He is preceded in death by his wife, Gladys; his son Alvin; and his 4 sisters, Iverna Bahn, Elsie Ehlers, Nona Bahn and Esther Schuett.