Harlan F. Lohr

Columbus

On January 25th, our dear Father, Grandfather, and Great-Grandfather, Harlan F. Lohr, left us to be with his beloved wife, Ethel Louise Boxman. Their reunion in Heaven will be celebrated by everyone that knew them.

Harlan was born to Gottlieb and Bertha Lohr on January 11, 1924. From grades one through six, Harlan attended the two-room Sweet Ireland School. For grades seven and eight, he attended St. Peter’s Lutheran School where he started to notice Ethel. From there he graduated from Columbus High School.

Before leaving for the service, he went to work for the Reeves Pulley Company. In the service he was in the United States 9th Air Force, IXth Troop Carrier Command, 52nd Troop Carrier Wing, 61st Troop Carrier Group, 59th Troop Carrier Squadron. During his time in the Army Air Force, he was stationed in Casablanca, North Africa; Kouran, Tunisia; Licata, Sciattia Sicily, Grantham, England, and Abbeyville, France, as well as various posts in the United States. During his time in Sicily, a 150-pound bomb dropped within 3 feet of him and his buddies. It was ticking but never went off. God was with him this time as well as his entire life.

After the war, Harlan returned to Reeves and married Ethel in June 1945. They had two children, David (Carolyn) and Diane (Bob Crissinger). In 1952, after a trip to Texas and Mexico, Ethel contracted Polio. Eventually she was moved to a clinic in Warm Springs, Georgia, the same place that Roosevelt went for treatment. After partial recovery, she returned to Columbus in a wheel chair for the rest of her life, to be with her family, leading a fulfilling life as mother and housewife, cooking, sewing and raising African Violets.

In the following years they took many vacations, including one where Harlan pushed her in her wheel chair around the Houston Astrodome. There were no obstacles for them.

After Ethel’s passing in 1993, Harlan concentrated on his family and enjoying every opportunity to be with them. When once asked if he would ever remarry he said, “Me get married again? Never! I could never love another person like I did Ethel. I do not want to erase any memories.”

Besides his children, Harlan is survived by grandchildren, Ryan (Jessica) Crissinger, Dena (Keith) Oitpoby, Kim (Dan) Acres and Kris (Dave) Hastings; and great-grandchildren,  Cassie (Spencer) Hamm, Morgan Johns, Katie and Justin Hastings, Avanleigh, Vivienne and Evelynn Crissinger, Alison, Emmalee and Elizabeth Otipoby.

Harlan was preceded in death by his parents; his wife on Nov. 12, 1993; and two sisters, Gladys Finke and Agnes Niemoeller.

Funeral service will be conducted at 10:30 a.m. Friday at Myers-Reed Chapel on 25th Street with Pastor Mark R. Teike officiating. Burial, with graveside military rites performed by the Bartholomew County Honor Guard, will follow at Garland Brook Cemetery. Friends may call from 4 to 7 p.m. Thursday and one hour prior to the service Friday.

Memorial contributions may be directed to Our Hospice of South Central Indiana.

Online condolences may be sent to the family at www.myers-reed.com.