Robert "Bob" Langenfeld

Robert "Bob" Langenfeld, age 91, passed away on Thursday, June 18, 2026, at his home following six months of health issues.

Bob was born in Hastings to Alois (Bill) and Eleanor Lovejoy Langenfeld on September 17, 1934. He felt fortunate to have been born in Hastings next to the Mississippi River where he spent his childhood roaming the river bottoms and marshes - hunting and fishing. He attended St. Boniface elementary school and Hastings High School. He served in the U.S. Navy from November 4, 1952, until October 26, 1956. After boot camp he chose to spend his Navy time on the East Coast. He was assigned to the U.S.S. Lake Champlain as a radar man. He took advantage of his shore leaves to explore the cities on the Mediterranean. Pompeii left a deep impression on him. Those years expanded his thirst for new adventures and shaped his future in many ways. Following his discharge from the military, he attended Dunwoody Institute, where he earned a degree in electronics. He began a career in the aerospace industry.

Bob was a family man by this time. He and Anne Graus were wed on January 9, 1956, at Guardian Angels Church. Together with their young daughter, Roberta, they made the move to Denver, where their sons Mark and Tyler were born. While living in Denver, Bob and Anne joined a scuba diving group and enjoyed the sport for many years.

Better job opportunities and a sense of adventure led to several moves through the years. From Denver, he and Anne moved to Picayune and then Waveland, Mississippi, a year in Rhode Island with Raytheon Industries, and then back to Mississippi. This time to accept a job offer at Ingalls Shipyard in Pascagoula. They made their home in the nearby Ocean Springs. In addition to his job at the shipyard Bob and Anne built and operated a car wash in Ocean Springs, where they made lifelong friendships. In 1976, Bob was offered a job at Todd Shipyard in San Pedro, California. His last employer was Raytheon Industries as Quality Control Manager. He retired in 1991 at the age of 55.

On July 26, 1986, Bob married Heidi Ries Schumacher in Huntington Beach, California. They lived there for five years before moving to Prescott, Wisconsin, then back home to Hastings. Back in his hometown on the Mississippi, Bob once more enjoyed hunting with old friends. They made many trips to Canada goose hunting and pheasant hunting in South Dakota.

He and Heidi began buying and selling antiques in Prescott shops. In 1996 they purchased a Victorian home on 2nd Street in Hastings and sold antiques out of their home and Carriage Barn. For years they combined their love of travel and antiquing while spending their winters in Arizona and California in their camper. Bob enjoyed repairing and refinishing furniture and upcycling items for the shop, raising vegetables and all the tasks related to keeping a house in working order. He was an active volunteer at the LeDuc Historic Estate as a “jack of all trades” doing a variety of tasks - fixing gate locks, running the apple press, feeding chickens and hauling anything from straw bales to furniture. He was happiest when he was engaged in a project. He frequently helped friends with fix-it projects.

Bob led an active creative life and continued to be inspired by nature. He enjoyed watching the foxes that came into the yard, feeding the birds, fighting with the squirrels and learning about insects, which led to a fascination with dragon flies. Age eventually led to a decline in his ability to keep up with lawn care, etc. It was very difficult for him to turn these tasks over to others, and workers were most often supervised very closely by the man who had been in quality control for so many years. After a long full life, Bob welcomed his next and final chapter.

Bob was preceded in death by his parents, Bill and Eleanor; siblings, Joan (Jim) Grier, Maureen (Pat) Coles, Jake (Yvonne), Mike and Mary Gale.

He is survived by his wife, Heidi; children, Roberta (John) Annis, Mark (Lydia) and Tyler (Arleen); stepchildren, Jim (Deb) Schumacher, John (Cathy) Schumacher, Jeanne (Mike Seath) Schumacher, Marianne (Rich Abraham) Schumacher, Cathy Schumacher, Linda (Julie Caffey) Schumacher; friend and mother of his children, Anne Graus Handberry; siblings, Tom “Todd” (Cheryl Fischer) Langenfeld, David (Mickey) Langenfeld, Dan (Victoria Apperson) Langenfeld and sister-in-law Nancy Langenfeld; and many grandchildren, great grandchildren, nieces and nephews, and close friends.

The family wishes to thank all who offered support in so many ways throughout Bob’s illness.

A Memorial Service will be held at 3:00 p.m., Friday, July 24, 2026 at the Hastings Art Center, 216 4th Street East, Hastings with visitation from 2:00 p.m. until the time of the service.

Interment will be at Lakeside Cemetery at a later date.