Longtime Holland organist and banker Henri Hemmer dies at 95
Henri Hemmer of Holland died Jan. 10 after a brief illness; funeral services are scheduled today at St. James Lutheran Church. Her decades of service touched local banking and church music.
Henrietta “Henri” Hemmer, a familiar presence in Holland’s pews and bank halls, died Jan. 10 at Brookside Village after a brief illness. She was 95.
Born Aug. 19, 1930, in Holland to Albert and Lillian Loewenstein, Hemmer graduated from Holland High School in 1948 and married Donald Hemmer on Nov. 11, 1950, at St. James Lutheran Church. A lifelong member of St. James, she served as the congregation’s organist for 41 years, providing musical continuity across generations of worshippers.
Hemmer’s professional life spanned local institutions central to everyday life in Dubois County. She worked as a bookkeeper for Holland Dairies, Inc., and spent a combined 59 years in the banking industry with Holland National Bank and German American Bank. She furthered her banking education at the School of Banking at the University of Wisconsin, a credential that underpinned a long career managing financial records and customer trust in the community.
Her personal interests reflected the ties that bound family and place: she traveled widely to visit relatives across the United States, and enjoyed music, crafts and reading. Hemmer was preceded in death by her parents and her husband, Donald.
She is survived by her daughter, Vicki (Jim) Graves of Flagstaff, Arizona; twin granddaughters Juliann Kurtze and Rachael (Joey) McDonald of Flagstaff; great-grandchildren Emmerson and Elise Kurtze and Tyler and Crew McDonald; a sister, Martha Rummel of Huntingburg; and a brother, David (Mary Ann) Loewenstein of Jasper, along with numerous nieces and family members.
Visitation was held Friday, Jan. 16, at Nass & Son Funeral Home in Huntingburg. Funeral services will take place today, Jan. 17, at 10 a.m. at St. James Lutheran Church with burial to follow at St. James Cemetery in Holland. Those who wish to honor her memory may make contributions to the St. James Senior Choir. Condolences can be shared online at nassandson.com.
Hemmer’s passing marks the loss of a local civic steward whose work in banking helped sustain household and business finances across decades, while her long tenure at the organ shaped Sunday services and supported the church’s musical life. Residents who knew her through St. James or local banks will find opportunities today to pay respects and to support the choir that reflects part of her legacy.
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