Funeral services for Herman Kirsch, 86, of Mott, ND will be Saturday, Feb. 28, 2009 at 10:30 a.m. at the Mott Evangelical Community Church. Rev. Jack Smith will officiate and special music will be provided by Heidi Kirsch, soloist and Klayton Kirsch, pianist. Visitations will be from 1:00 to 7:30 p.m. Friday, Feb. 27 at the Evanson Jensen Funeral Home in Mott and one hour prior to the service at the church on Saturday morning.

Herman Henry Kirsch joined the family of Jacob and Lydia (Siewert) Kirsch as the first son of the family on November 3, 1922, joining two sisters, Erna (Zimmerle) and Martha (Heupel), followed by siblings Alvina (Bertsch), Lydia (Heupel), Elmer, Hilda (Haberstroh), Arnold, Leona (Stern), Olinda, Sarah (Tompkins), and Norman. He was born on the family farmstead north of Burt, North Dakota.
His farming career began as a child alongside his father, using teams of horses and progressing to the point where Herman was the first farmer in his community to own a self-propelled combine. His childhood was marked by an early interest in farming, but he also took a scant six years out to attend a one room school house three miles from the family farm. Because his education stopped at sixth grade, Herman was truly a self-educated man, well read and informed on topics ranging from agriculture and livestock to politics, religion, and civic affairs.


Herman not only read about a wide variety of topics, but developed a number of life skills. After a short period of training with an electrician, Herman filled the time off from farming by doing electrical work in the Burt area. Although he never obtained a pilot's license, he took flying lessons, stopping short of his solo flight. Herman's focus for most of his life was agriculture, along with raising Charolais crossbred cattle. In 1938, one of many upgrades to equipment took place, when Herman and his father traded a John Deere tractor for an International, paying the $250 balance of the trade. In 1943, the farm became home to the first combine to replace the threshing machine at the cost of $1,100.


Up until around 1939, farming truly was Herman's passion, but at a revival meeting at the Neuburg German Congregational Church, Herman gave his life to Christ. His walk with the Lord controlled all areas of his life, including the way he conducted his business as a farmer.


Although Herman loved farming and contemplating his golden fields of grain, he lived a bachelor's life on the farm, miles from town. After the long, hard winter of 1949, Herman spent some time in Billings, Montana where he saw Alberta Bender singing in the church choir. He managed to get an introduction and a date, resulting in their marriage on June 4, 1950 in Billings. They lived together on the farm and had four children, Kelsie (Danny) Myers, Kevin (Collette), Kaye, and Keith (Wanda). Herman and Alberta raised their family on the farm, instilling in all of them Herman's strong work ethic and faith. In 1987, when their nest was empty, Herman and Alberta moved into Mott, but he continued to farm until he was 82 years old. After he retired from farming in 2002, he was able to catch up on his reading, and relaxed by spending time every day with the coffee guys. In the years leading up to his death, he struggled with several medical issues. Because of poor health he spent the last weeks of his life in the Good Samaritan Nursing Home.


Herman possessed a dry humor, amusing many of his grandchildren as they grew up and providing stories for them to tell their children. Service to others was a continuing characteristic of his life. He was active with the Gideon's, both Neuberg Congregational and Mott Evangelical Community Churches, Walker Township and township assessor duties. He also served on the Advisory Board of Sunshine Bible Academy, in Miller, South Dakota in the 1970s. Before he himself became a resident of the Good Samaritan Nursing Home, he was given the Volunteer of the Year award. Those who share his faith in Jesus Christ know they will see him again in heaven. Herman Kirsch passed away on February 24, 2009 at the Good Samaritan Nursing Center in Mott.

Grateful for having shared in his life are his wife, Alberta, of Mott; sons, Kevin (Collette) Kirsch, of Belfield, ND and Keith (Wanda) Kirsch, of New Leipzig, ND; daughters, Kelsie (Danny) Myers, Missoula, MT and Kaye Kirsch, of Dickinson, ND; brothers, Elmer (Agnes) Kirsch, of Pima, AZ, Arnold Kirsch, Mott, MD and Norman (Judy) Kirsch, Wyandotte, MI; sisters, Martha Heupel, of Elgin, ND, Lydia Heupel, Mandan, ND, Hilda Haberstroh, of Mott, ND, Leona Stern, New Leipzig, ND and Sara Tompkins, Toronto, Canada; nine grandchildren, Nathan Myers-Weisser, Klayton Kirsch, Kris Bogar, Koreen Hammel, KariLee Dancer, Shawn Kirsch, Heidi Kirsch, Ben Kirsch and Cy Kirsch; three great grandchildren, Jacob Kirsch, Isabel Kirsch and Terry Hammel.

Herman was preceded in death by his parents, Jacob and Lydia Kirsch and three sisters, Erna Zimmerle, Alvina Bertsch and Olinda Kirsch.

In lieu of flowers, memorials are preferred to the Gideon's International and the Good Samaritan Nursing Center in Mott, ND.