David Habermas Obituary

Northfield - David Habermas, age 86 of Northfield, passed away peacefully Saturday, August 9, 2025, at the Northfield Retirement Community.

David John Habermas was born in Racine, Wisconsin on October 6, 1938. His parents were Louis G. Habermas, Sr., and Mildred Elaine Wiernasz Habermas. Both are now deceased.

He had an older brother, Louis Jr. and later a sister, Nancy Ann Habermas Devries. He attended various schools in Racine as the family moved several times. After Washington Junior High School he attended Racine Lutheran High School. After high school he attended Northwestern College in Watertown, Wisconsin: Northwestern was considered the appropriate preparation for the Lutheran ministry. After Northwestern he continued to prepare for the Lutheran ministry by attending Concordia Seminary in St. Louis, Missouri. He graduated with a Master of Divinity degree in '65. Before entering the ministry he spent a year in Germany, learning the language, visiting relatives, and exploring his roots.

When he returned home in late '66, he worked with his father for a few months doing electrical work and then became ordained as a Lutheran pastor of the Missouri Synod.

He was called to be an assistant pastor at St. Luke's Lutheran Church in New York. He served there several years and on his last Sunday there met Betty Lou, his future bride. He had accepted a call to serve as pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church in the Bronx which he did.

In June of 1971, he married Betty Lou. Their two children, Andrew and Bonnie were born there. But David found himself most interested in hospital ministry and they decided to move to Milwaukee to prepare for chaplaincy work.

He was called by the South Wisconsin District of the Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod to serve as chaplain at Central State Hospital, Waupun. He stayed there when the State of Wisconsin changed the institution to Dodge Correctional Institution. After several years he accepted a transfer to Winnebago Mental Health Institute in Oshkosh.

David and Betty Lou's two children attended school in Waupun, Wisconsin and Oshkosh. Both of them attended the University of Wisconsin, Madison, Andrew married Marypat and they have twins, Nathan and Thorne. Bonnie married David Pape and they have three children, Hannah, Abigail, and Timothy.

David enjoyed playing the piano and later learning to strum the baritone ukulele. Also he enjoyed reading books and playing pickleball. He enjoyed spending time in Arizona and found Northfield an interesting place to Retire.

A celebration of life for David will be held at 11 AM, Saturday, August 16, at Trinity Lutheran Church in Northfield. Visitation will be one hour prior to the service at the church and a reception will follow at the church.

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