Howard Glen Neumann, 87, passed away peacefully during the late evening on September 1, 2022, at Eventide Senior Living Community in Fargo. He was our beloved father, grandfather, great-grandfather, brother, uncle, devoted husband, and good friend to many.
We are comforted in our belief that he is now in Jesus Christ’s presence, free from pain, and now realizing the amazing joy of reuniting with loved ones that went before him.
Dad was born on November 24, 1934, on his family’s dairy farm near Ada, MN. He was the fourth of five children of Clarence and Eva Neumann. This farm, where he lived nearly all his life, was truly the place he cherished most despite having had the opportunity to travel to some amazing places during his lifetime.
After graduating from high school in 1953, he served his country which included some time during the Cuban Missile Crisis when he was part of the U.S. Army’s 211th Engineering Company. It was here that he developed a special friendship that spanned more than 60 years with a fellow serviceman from Iowa named Marvin Kaiser. After his service, he returned home to help his dad on the farm.
During his younger years, Dad formed a singing duo with a neighbor named Conrad Kvamme. They called themselves The Harmony Twins and traveled throughout a large area singing at various events, the highlight being invited to sing at the American Dairy Association convention in Chicago in 1961; the entertainment lineup had included Pat Boone as well. Dad had a beautiful, perfect-pitched, powerful baritone voice. He loved music and shared his talents in many ways, singing for many ceremonies at church and events throughout the community. He also helped young people, including his children, develop their performance skills; his happiness and pride in their successes were always evident.
Along with music, Dad loved baseball. He played for the Gary, MN baseball team, often speaking fondly about those years and the sheer joy of playing the game. On summer nights, he would teach us the fundamentals like how to swing the bat, field grounders and catch fly balls, and steal for home base, always finishing by hitting a few pop balls into the air which we had fun trying to catch.
In 1962, a friend arranged a blind date for Dad with a lovely blond home economics teacher named Jan Melby. They were married in October of 1963. Together they were a loving and successful partnership, sharing the work of the farm and raising four children. Dad always referred to it as a “family farm” because indeed it was a lot of work and needed a team approach. The values he taught have followed us into our adult lives, something we are very grateful for.
Dad helped his community and church in many ways. He served as elder, trustee, and church president at St. John’s Lutheran Church in rural Ada. He also served on the McDonaldsville Township board, and the American Dairy Association Board, and was a leader for the Green Meadow Go-Getters 4-H club. He was also often asked to be Master of Ceremonies at the Norman County Fair.
When Mom passed away in 2013, Dad was deeply saddened. He truly gave us a blueprint for how to grieve but then carry on and find purpose and joy in life. His friend Marlene Warner was a blessing to him for several years until her death in 2018.
Eventide Senior Living in Fargo, ND, was where Dad spent the last six years of his life. He was able to live comfortably there and meet so many kind and wonderful people. He loved to play cards in the afternoons with his friends in the lovely open commons area. His good friend, Dr. Ronald Goos, a retired veterinarian who treated the cattle on our farm, came to see Dad almost every day to play several games of Smear with him. Dad was so blessed to have such good company, and we are very thankful to all who cared for and were incredibly kind to him.
It was during these last six years that Dad gave us an extraordinary gift: he became a sketch artist. He had a latent love of drawing and put this talent to work every day while sitting at his kitchen counter. He drew everything from cartoon characters to famous people to animals, especially birds. We have many of his sketchbooks which he gifted to each of his children and to many others, not to mention the countless drawings he texted to us daily.
Dad was preceded in death by his wife, Janice; his parents, Clarence and Eva; his sister, Alice (Orlin) Lee; and brothers, Bruce and William.
He is survived by his brother, Curtis (Theresa) Neumann, Alameda, CA; his children, Heidi (Dan) Kneeland, Menomonie, WI, Deborah (Todd) DeBates, Oxbow, ND, Peter Neumann, Hudson, WI, and Paul Neumann, Ada, MN; his grandchildren, Natalie (Noah) Helgerson, Mathew (Merissa) Marcussen, Christopher Marcussen, Andrew Neumann, Rainer Neumann, Samantha DeBates, Micah DeBates, and Michelle (Justin) Barbeau; great-grandchildren, Finley Helgerson and Brody and Owen Barbeau; and several nieces, nephews, and cousins.
Funeral: 11:00 AM, Thursday, September 8, 2022, at St. John’s Lutheran Church, Rural Ada.
Visitation: 5:00 PM – 7:00 PM, Wednesday, September 7, 2022, at St. John’s Lutheran Church, Rural Ada, with a prayer service to begin at 7:00 PM.
Interment: St. John’s Lutheran Cemetery, Rural Ada, MN.
Please view our guestbook and share condolences online at www.fredriksonfh.com
Arrangements with Fredrikson-Ganje Funeral Homes
Ada & Halstad, Minnesota
