Lawrence "Tommy" Joseph Harder

Lawrence (Tommy) Joseph Harder, 73, of Emerson, Nebraska went home to be with Jesus at his home on Friday, February 26, 2010. Funeral services will be held on Tuesday, March 2, at 2:30 p.m. at the Glad Tidings Lighthouse, 410 East 10th Street in South Sioux City, Nebraska, with the Rev. Michael Ring officiating. A visitation will be held on Monday from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m. at the Munderloh Funeral Home in Emerson, with a prayer service at 7:00 p.m. Interment will be in the Rose Hill Cemetery in Emerson. Tommy was born on July 7, 1936 in Ponca, Nebraska, the son of William and Josephine (Starzl) Harder. He grew up in Ponca, NE, and lived in the rural Ponca area until he met Janet Engelhart and was Married on June 28th, 1959. The couple moved to Emerson, NE, and shortly after he was drafted into the U.S. Army and was stationed in Germany where he served three years. Upon his military discharge, he became employed by M.G. Waldbaum Co. for 37 years until his retirement. Tommy loved his family, and enjoyed fishing, driving his John Deere tractor, spending time with his family, going “uptown” to have his daily coffee with his coffee buddies, going out to his garden, including helping others with theirs. He was always the kind of guy you would see helping out the community and doing odds and end things for people. He enjoyed working and helping out at Mike’s Foodtown, and spending quality time with his pet Cockatiel Regal, which he liked to call his “duck”. He was a loving and caring husband, father, grandfather, great grandfather and friend. Tommy will be greatly missed and cherished forever. Tommy is survived by his wife, Janet, of 50 years, three sons: Lonnie and Mai Harder of Wakefield, NE; Ryan Harder of Sioux City, Iowa; and Darryn and Phyllis Harder of Wakefield, NE. He is also survived by 7 grandchildren, four great grandchildren, two sisters, Frances Conrad of Ponca, NE, and Helen Ann Hall also of Ponca, and many nieces and nephews. Tommy was preceded in death by his parents, and many aunts and uncles.