Obituary - Lynn George Deppmeier

Lynn George Deppmeier passed away due to the effects of time on Dec. 14, 2015. He was 92.

Lynn was born in Havre on May 26, 1923. The son of George and Doris Deppmeier; he was the second of eight children. Lynn and some of his siblings were raised on a homestead north of Havre, where, as a teen, he worked on local farms, including a year milking cows.

In high school he was a member of the school’s drum and bugle corps and excelled in mathematics. In 1942, Lynn married his bride of 53 years, Helen Schend from the Bear Paw Mountains. Lynn and Helen welcomed their first son, Melvin, one year later.

Lynn served in the U.S. Army during World War II receiving accelerated engineer training at West Virginia University. He was a tech corporal with the 734th Railway Operating Battalion in Europe where, at the end of the war, he helped transport to port captured German V-2 rockets which were later shipped to the United States.

While stationed in Belgium, he worked with fellow soldiers to maintain critical railroad access during the Battle of the Bulge and developed many relationships during his service in Holland that were always remembered fondly.

After his honorable discharge, Lynn was instructed, along with other servicemen to go home, get a job, take care of his family and get on with life. He and Helen had daughter, Rose Marie, and sons, Alvin and Bernard. He operated a seasonal custom crop spraying business with his best friend, Paul Bullman, serving farmers on the Hi-Line and had a four-decade career as an elevator agent at locations ranging from Fresno, to Box Elder, to Poplar, Laredo and Havre.

Lynn and Helen were winter league bowlers at Rudyard for many years, braving snow storms to play in their Sunday night league. They also enjoyed square dancing and in the summers spending time camping in the Bear Paws.

After retirement, Lynn kept busy working with his horses, traveling to spend time with his children and grandchildren and socializing at the Havre Eagles Club and the North Central Senior Citizens Center with friend, Joyce Chagnon.

He is survived by his brothers Edwin, Virgil and Larry Deppmeier, as well as sisters Miriam Kinzel and Phyllis Robbins. He is also survived by his daughter, Marie and Steve McCann of Boulder, Montana, and son, Bernard and Celeste Deppmeier of Lake Forest, California. Lynn was blessed with six grandchildren: Patrick, Rachelle, Daniel, Sarah, Kaitlyn, and Jacklyn and 10 great-grandchildren.

Lynn was preceded in death by his wife, Helen; sons. Alvin and Melvin Deppmeier; and brothers, Arnold and Gilbert Deppmeier.

A remembrance gathering will be held at the North Central Senior Citizens Center in Havre on Saturday, May 28, from 1 to 4 p.m. All are welcome to come and share their memories.