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Visitation
Wednesday, July 22, 2015
St. James Catholic Church
Liberty, MO
5-8 p.m.
Rosary at 5 p.m.
Memorial Service
Thursday, July 23, 2015
St. James Catholic Church
Liberty, MO
10 a.m.
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Harry Francis Woltkamp, Jr.
Harry Francis Woltkamp, Jr., 88, beloved husband, Dad, Grandpa, and Papa Harry, passed away peacefully July 17, 2015 after a brief illness. He died in the embrace of his loving wife of 65 years, surrounded by his large and boisterous family.
Harry was born November 24, 1926, in Kansas City, Kans., to Harry Francis Woltkamp, Sr. and Mary Anna Jenkins Woltkamp. He and his three siblings, Marge, William (Tub), and Annie grew up in Stilwell, Kans., in a home built by their father. Harry loved to tell the story of how his dad dug the foundation for their home with only a shovel and a team of horses. The home is still occupied by family. Harry graduated from Bishop Ward High School where he excelled academically and played trombone in the marching band. Before entering college, Harry proudly served in the U.S. Navy as an Aviation Radioman Third Class. He never lost his love of airplanes or flying. He could identify any vintage aircraft, often by the sound of the engine alone.
After serving in the Navy, Harry went to the University of Kansas where he studied industrial engineering and business. He graduated in the spring of 1950. Five days later, on June 10, 1950, he married the love of his life, Ruth Marie Schrick, in an early morning service at the small Catholic church in Mooney Creek, Kans. After the ceremony, a brother-in-law took them to the reception at the bride’s parents’ farm in a tractor-drawn wagon. On their 50th anniversary, which they celebrated at St. James in Liberty, the brother-in-law brought a similar wagon and tractor to the celebration mass and re-created their long-ago ride to the reception. Harry loved Ruth beyond measure. He once said to a daughter-in-law as he watched Ruth setting the dinner table at a family gathering, “Have you ever seen such a beautiful woman?” He lit up when she walked into the room, and he always wanted her close by. Even during his final illness when he was unable to communicate, he rested easier when Ruth was at his bedside, holding his hand.
Together, Harry and Ruth raised eight children in Liberty, Mo., where they settled in 1956. Harry was very proud of his children and their accomplishments. He was also proud of his 14 grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren. Gratefully, he knew about the newest great-grandchild who is yet to be born. Chaos is inevitable when the Woltkamp family gathers, but Harry was rarely fussed by the commotion. No one was ever surprised when he’d simply fall asleep in the middle of the clamor. In fact, Harry was famous for his power naps and could always sleep through the night regardless of how many naps he’d taken during the day.
Harry started his working career at S.S. Kresge in Kansas City, but accepted a management position with the Ford Motor Company in Claycomo a short time later. He worked at the Claycomo plant for 30 years as a Quality Control Manager before retiring in 1983. Retirement didn’t slow him down. For nearly 10 years after his official retirement, he worked as a contractor at Ford. For a few of those years, he also built homes and sold real estate.
Around the house, Harry never encountered a car or tractor he couldn’t tear apart and rebuild, a woodworking project he couldn’t master, or a home improvement project he didn’t successfully complete. Considering he had eight kids clamoring for his help with their projects, as well, he was a busy man. He liked to keep his workload organized and always had a to-do list thumb-tacked next to the phone. Thankfully, he was willing to teach what he knew and often included the kids and grandkids in his projects. Over the years, he also spent considerable time, energy, and money trying to control nature in his large backyard. Once he invented a contraption to scare away the geese that wandered into the yard from a nearby pond. Made of PVC pipe, the “Wapper” flung a long pole with a red flag tied to the end of it in a 180 degree arc to the ground. It was triggered by pulling a red string as long as the acre back yard which was attached to a release mechanism on the device. Harry would sit on the back deck and trip the Wapper whenever an intrepid goose dared to alight. Unfortunately, the invention didn’t work as well as he’d hoped, but he didn’t give up. Eventually, he discovered that a large plastic decapitated goose decoy, lovingly named “Charlie” by the great-grandkids, lying prone in the middle of the yard did the trick. For whatever reason, the geese took Harry a little more seriously after Charlie’s arrival.
As for the deer, rabbits, and raccoons, Harry was relentless. There was no way he was going to let the critters ruin Ruth’s garden. After several iterations using various tools and electronics — including a motion sensor camera — Harry finally settled on what the family now calls “Guantanamo.” At least six feet tall and electrified to the point of (in Harry’s words) “giving you a jolt”, the fence around the garden has successfully protected Ruth’s lettuce, beans, and tomatoes for several summers now.
Harry always valued problem-solving and education, and he never stopped learning. Even as he got older, he wasn’t intimidated by technology or using the internet. He could often be found in front of his computer, scouring websites for car parts or instructions for his projects. He would search stuff for you if you indicated an interest and spend a good long phone call giving you his search results. He was very proud of the fact that all eight of his children have college degrees and/or advanced degrees. His support for their educations started early. He and Ruth were founding parents of St. James School and active members of the St. James parish. Harry served the church in many capacities, but he especially enjoyed telling the story about how he came to be the first male president of the school’s PTA. He also enjoyed singing at church. According to the kids, he was a “joyful noise” singer … enthusiastic, a bit loud, and a lot off key.
Harry cared deeply about his community and didn’t hesitate to make his opinion known when things weren’t going the way he thought they should. He could write a very convincing letter. He loved to talk about politics – especially local. He also loved a good practical joke. Many a grandchild’s Christmas or birthday gift was wrapped in duct tape. Not wrapping paper secured with duct tape. Just duct tape. Yards and yards of duct tape.
Without a doubt, no one loved his family more than Harry, nor has any husband, Dad, Grandpa, or Papa Harry ever been more loved.
Preceding Harry in death were his parents, Harry Francis Woltkamp, Sr. and Mary Anna Jenkins Woltkamp, and all three of his siblings, Marge Koechner, Stilwell, Kans., William (Tub) Woltkamp, Chicago, Ill., and Annie Yarber, Ocean Springs, Miss. He also lost his son-in-law, Alex Bruening, Queen Creek, Ariz.
He is survived by his wife, Ruth Woltkamp; and his eight children, Dr. Diane Bruening, Phoenix, Ariz., Janie (Darrell) Thacker, Overland Park, Kans., Carole (Paul) Dyer, Liberty, Tom (Mary) Woltkamp, Olathe, Kans., Susie Woltkamp, Overland Park, Kans., Dr. David Woltkamp, Overland Park, Kans., John (Lisa) Woltkamp, Fountain Hills, Ariz., and Bill (Gail) Woltkamp, Kearney, Mo. Harry also leaves behind 14 grandchildren, Alison (Craig) Bruening-Hamati, Chad (Colleen) Bruening, Aaron (Jenna) Thacker, Carey (Austin) Bickford, Michael (Brianna) Bruening, Brian (Ellen) Woltkamp, Kyle Thacker, Megan Woltkamp, Stephanie Woltkamp, Matthew Woltkamp, Ryan Woltkamp, Sophie Woltkamp, Mitchell Woltkamp, Grant Woltkamp; and nine great-grandchildren, Jackson Bruening, Ella Grace Bruening, Reid Hamati, Bridget Bruening, Luke Bruening, Claire Hamati, Reese Bruening, Benjamin Bickford, and Henry Bruening.
Visitation will be at St. James Catholic Church, Liberty, Mo., from 5 to 8 p.m. on Wednesday, July 22, 2015. The rosary will be at 5 p.m. His funeral Mass will be celebrated at 10 a.m. Thursday morning, July 23, 2015, also at St. James Church in Liberty. Private interment will follow at a later date.
In lieu of flowers, the family suggests contributions to St. James Catholic Church.
Arrangements are through Fry-Bross & Spidle Funeral Home, Kearney.
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