MOUNT PULASKI -- Rudolph Baumhardt, 85, of Elkhart, formerly of Mount Pulaski, died Tuesday, Feb. 7, 2006, at 2:05 a.m. at Vonderlieth Living Center.

Visitation will be from 4 to 7 p.m. Thursday at Fricke-Calvert-Schrader Funeral Home in Mount Pulaski.

His funeral will be at 10 a.m. Friday at Veail Chapel, Steenbergen Cemetery. The Rev. Wallace Reifsteck will officiate, and military rites will be conducted.

Mr. Baumhardt was a retired farmer.

He served in the U.S. Army Air Corps during World War II.

He was born July 15, 1920, in rural Lincoln to Hugo and Bertha Arndt Baumhardt. He married Zelma Louise Wilham in Bowling Green, Mo., on Dec. 20, 1941; she died March 20, 1987. He married Janet Weiser Welch in Rockville, Ind., on April 28, 1988. She survives.

Other survivors are one daughter, Sandra Wilmert of Lincoln; one son, Gary (and Jean) Baumhardt of Normal; one foster daughter, Sharon (and Lynn) Neal of Springfield; two stepdaughters, Kathy (and Steve) Schilling of Monticello and Cheryl (and David) Culbertson of Geneseo; three stepsons, Brad Welch of Scottsdale, Ariz., David (and Ayten) Welch of Springfield and Mike (and Brenda) Welch of Deltona, Fla.; one sister, Lorene Schrenk of Springfield; 21 grandchildren; and 16 great-grandchildren.

He was also preceded in death by one brother, three sisters and one grandson.

He was a member of St. John United Church of Christ of Lincoln and Mount Pulaski American Legion Post 447. He was a 50-year member and past commander of the American Legion and a past board member of the Logan County Farm Service Agency.

Memorials may be made to Mount Pulaski American Legion Post 447 or the Alzheimer's Association.

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