Laramie "Larry" Waldhart

Larry Waldhart of Appleton, age 84, passed away at his home on Wednesday, October 21, 2020, surrounded by his wife Kim, children and family, all of whom he was incredibly proud of and enjoyed every opportunity to spend time with.

Larry, born in Medford, Wisconsin on July 20, 1936, was the son of the late Arnold and Elna (Nixdorf) Waldhart.  Larry attended high school in Dorchester, WI. He earned a degree in mechanical drafting from Chippewa Valley Technical College.

Larry married Kathleen (Peterson) in Milwaukee on October 31, 1959. In 1991, she preceded him in death. Larry married Kim Roush Kardos on May 24^th, 2003. He is survived by Kim, his son Larry and wife Elaine, daughter Linda and husband Dave, grandchildren Larry, Drew, Trent and wife Elise, Danielle and husband Kevin, and newborn Great Grandson Kayden.

Larry, a lifelong Lutheran, was a 50+ year member of Riverview Evangelical Lutheran Church holding leadership positions on the school board and church council where he was financial secretary for over 25 years and loved meeting with the counting committee every week. He leveraged his training as an Army Cook to prepare church dinners for decades.

Sergeant First Class (Ret.) Waldhart’s 30 years of military service began when he enlisted in the Wisconsin Army National Guard where he deployed to Fort Lewis Washington during the Berlin Missile Crisis. After a break in service, he enlisted in the United States Army Reserve until he retired from the military.

Larry enjoyed a career designing and engineering for Allis Chalmers Corporation until retiring in 2002. He worked as a draftsman on the Stellarator (fusion reactor) and as a designer of various mining equipment. He also helped develop the process and machinery for manufacturing the “Bugles” snack.

Together with his wife, Kim, he spent his retirement giving back to the community that he loved by volunteering at the Salvation Army and St. Joseph’s food pantry along with working at the polls. Larry will be remembered for his love of serving others by living a life focused on God, country, and family.

The Christian Funeral Service for Larry will be held at 3:00 PM on Sunday, October 25, 2020, at Riverview Ev. Lutheran Church, located at 136 W. Seymour Street in Appleton.  Rev. Dennis Belter and Rev. Timothy Wagner will officiate.  Visitation will take place at the church on Sunday afternoon from 1:00 PM until the time of the service.  Masks and safe distancing will be required. The funeral service will be livestreamed at Riverview’s YouTube page which can be found at https://youtu.be/HajGY7HQ1dk.

The graveside service and committal prayer for Larry will be held at 1:00 PM on Monday, October 26, 2020 at Zion Lutheran Cemetery in Stetsonville, WI.  All are invited to attend.

In lieu of flowers, please donate to Riverview Lutheran Church and School or Disabled American Veterans.