Louis "Louie" Reinhardt Marz

Louis “Louie” Reinhardt Marz, age 94, formerly of Homestead, IA, died peacefully at his home in Las Cruces, New Mexico, on Saturday evening, November 18, 2017. Celebration of Life Service: 10:00 A.M. Saturday, April 14, 2018, Middle Amana Church, Middle Amana, Iowa. Visitation: 9 – 10:00 A.M. prior to the service. Inurnment will be in the Homestead Cemetery with Military Honors and Masonic Rites. In lieu of flowers the family suggests memorials be directed to the Amana Church Society, the Amana Heritage Society, or the Mesilla Valley Hospice. Kloster Funeral Home, Marengo is assisting the family with arrangements.

Louis was born October 29, 1923 in Homestead, Iowa, the son of John Jacob Marz and Henrietta Kolb Marz. As a boy, he attended the Amana schools. Following graduation in 1941, Louis attended Coe College. He was drafted into the U.S. Army in 1943 where he served as an engineer. He completed civil engineering training at the Virginia Military Institute and was deployed overseas on his birthday in 1944 as part of the 282 ^nd Engineering Combat Battalion. As the war was coming to an end, Louis was wounded from enemy fire while building a bridge at Echternach, Luxemburg in 1945, and went on to receive the Purple Heart for the injury that almost took his life. He along with several hundred other servicemen from the greatest generation made the trip to Washington, D.C. 70 years later, as part of the Cedar Rapids Honor Flight program on September 11, 2011.

Following his return to the states after World War II, Louis completed his education at Iowa State University where he received a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering. Louis went on to work at Amana Refrigeration, Inc. as a design engineer his entire working career. He married Dorothy Berger on November 12, 1949. The couple later divorced. Louis married Caroline Brandt on January 16, 1987. The couple made their home in both Homestead, IA and Las Cruces, NM.

Louis’ lifetime passions included being a founding member of the Amana Heritage Society and serving as an elder at the Amana Church. Additionally, he was an active member of the Homestead Welfare Club, a 50-year member of the Masonic Lodge and the 32 degree Scottish Rite. His hobbies included teaching and playing bridge, tennis, crossword puzzles, ISU Cyclone football, traveling and caring for his beloved English Sheepdogs—most recently his “good girl” Roxie.

Following his retirement, Louis volunteered at the Amana Heritage Museum and the Farm and Ranch Museum in Las Cruces.

He is survived by his wife Caroline; sister-in-law Ellen Mae Marz; daughter Mary (Tom) Burgher of East Amana; son, Dr. Mark (Marti) Marz of Cedar Rapids; step-children, Alan Cerwick of San Antonio, TX and Brigitte Cerwick of Coppell, TX; six grandchildren, Laura (Keith) Simmonds, Andrew (Stephanie) Marz, Liesl (Daniel) Yunek, Fritz Burgher, Mackenzie Cerwick and Justin Cerwick; and three great grandchildren, Daniel and Anna Simmonds, and Everett Yunek. Louis was preceded in death by his parents, a sister, Helen Dittrich and a brother Fritz Marz.