Obituary of Philip John Neuharth

Philip John Neuharth, Jr., age 84 of Menno passed away Thursday, November 12, 2015 at the Menno-Olivet Care Center, Menno. Funeral services will be 2:00 PM, Saturday, November 14, 2015 at the Zion Reformed Church in Menno with Rev. Travis Grassmid officiating. Burial will be in the Menno Cemetery with military graveside rites by the Rames-Bender American Legion Post #152 Honor Guard, Menno and the SDARNG Honor Guard, Sioux Falls, SD. Visitations will be from 5-8 PM, Friday, November 13, 2015 at the Zion Reformed Church, Menno with the family present. Visitations will resume one hour prior to the service at the church. Aisenbrey-Opsahl-Kostel Memorial Chapel, Menno is in care of the arrangements. Pallbearers will be six of his grandsons: Joshua Neuharth, Rickey Miller, Philip Neuharth, Spencer Neuharth, Clayton Roubideaux, and Jonathon Roubideaux. Honorary pallbearers will be his grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Philip John Neuharth Jr. was born September 15, 1931 on the family farm North of Menno SD to Philip and Katherina (Mehlhaf) Neuharth. He attended country school through the 8th grade. He was baptized and confirmed in the Zion Reformed Church, Menno. Philip married Virginia Voy on February 28, 1954, in St. Paul's Lutheran Church in Scotland, SD and to this union eight children were born. Four days after their wedding, Philip was inducted into the U.S. Army, where he fixed air plane engines. After his service, he returned to the family farm and continued farming, until his retirement in 1995, when he and Virginia moved into Menno. Philip and Virginia had the great joy of meeting their great-grandson, Philip Neuharth VI, in the summer of 2015. He loved his family, farming and also fishing and hunting with his son, Philip. He was a charter member of the Menno Pioneer Power Show. He had a great passion for antique John Deere tractors and loved fixing them up with his son, LueAllen. He was a lifelong member of Zion Reformed Church, where he served as Sunday school teacher, sang in the choir, a deacon, a trustee, and also served as a Sunday School Superintendent. Philip was also a Rural Fire Department member, a township board supervisor and clerk, and was a member of the American Legion in Menno. Philip and Virginia loved to square dance and were longtime members of the Hurley Hoppers Square Dance Club. Philip became a resident of the Menno-Olivet Care Center in the fall of 2014. Virginia was there every afternoon to visit and sit with him. Philip is survived by his loving wife of 61 years, Virginia, seven of his children, 17 grandchildren, and 21 great-grandchildren and 1 on the way in January. LueAllen (Pam) Neuharth and their children, Kelly, Kim and Joshua, LueAnn (Rick) Miller and their children, Rickey and Amanda, Philip (Linda) Neuharth and their children, Dana, Philip and Spencer, Marcia (Clayton) Roubideaux and their children, Elizabeth, Clayton, and Jonathon, Dianne (Donavon) Hopf and their children, Jessica, Amy, and Carrie, Sandra Kuper (Tom Bernard) and her children, Mandi, Kayla, and William, and Mary (Mark) Olesen; his sisters and brothers-in-law, Erna (Laverne) Decker, Arlene Walz, Victor Schneider, Luverne Buehner, Betty Neuharth, Gideon Schultz, Helen Voy and Myrna Voy and many nieces, nephews, friends and relatives. Philip was preceded in death by his infant son, Lonnie Jo, in 1954, his parents, four brothers: Leon, Ray, Elmer and Marvin Neuharth; seven sisters: Beatha, Alma, Ida, Verlinda, Viona, Elda and Norma; two great-grandchildren, Alden Hotzler and Kirstan Roubideaux and his mother and father-in-law.