Elmer John Niehoff

Elmer John William Niehoff, born on March 27, 1928, to John Gerhard Niehoff and Elizabeth Marie Marks in Quenemo, Kansas, peacefully joined his eternal father on Monday, February 22, 2021 at the age of 92 years. Yearning his entire life for his mother who died when Elmer was a young boy, he is now rejoined with her in heaven along with his sister, Lola; father, John; and step mother, Ella.

Death was cheated more than once by Elmer. When Sue and Sandy were young girls he was in a motor vehicle accident that nearly took his life. He fell off scaffolding, was overcome by carbon monoxide multiple times while working as a cement finisher…but God was not ready for Elmer just yet…he still had work to do.

The dance floor is where Elmer and Marge met and they continued to dance through life together for over 54 years. You could see the love in their eyes as they glided around the dance floor together. Marge really enjoyed the vacations they took together to Kansas, Colorado, Arizona and up north to see family and friends. Life wasn’t always easy for them but their love for one another carried them through those difficult times. Loving his sweets, Elmer always looked forward to Marge baking up some goodies for him. There wasn’t always a lot of money but there was always love! When things were tight we remember dad picking up a Christmas tree on Christmas Eve along with some boughs creating the most beautiful tree and Christmas village for his family to enjoy.

A strong, hard working man, Elmer worked as a cement finisher. It was a job he loved and took great pride in but also a job that took a toll on his body. When not at work, if you couldn’t find Elmer, he was probably in the garage doing woodworking or tending to his garden or yard. Woodworking was a passion of dad’s making toys for the grandkids, cradles for their dolls, bike ramps for the boys, anything he could make with his scraps of wood. Elmer was not a quitter and did not allow his pain to stop him from doing anything. Would you believe he was busting out concrete himself in his 70s, re-tiling and carpeting their basement after some flooding in his 80s, and lifting weights and exercising in their basement in his 90s until his body would no longer allow him to do so.

Faith and family were very important to Elmer. Proverbs 22:6 says “Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it.” Making sure his children had a strong faith was very important to Elmer and it is that faith that has carried him and his children through difficult times in their lives. Sue and Sandy recall as young children trying to get dad to let them skip Sunday school or church. It wasn’t often but once in a while he would give in and take them to George Webbs for a pancake breakfast. Many Sunday afternoons were spent visiting family as making sure his children knew their extended family was very important to Elmer.

Scott and Todd recall dad juicing cabbage long before juicing was a thing. And, oh the wonderful smell that filled the house when he juiced cabbage or cooked up his vegetables for his boiled dinner. Perhaps that is why we all tend to eat healthy and take our vitamins. We can’t forget those butter and lima beans!! And, what about those fried bologna sandwiches! We also know where some of us may have gotten our risk taking from as in dad’s younger days Scott and Todd recall dad telling them he would deflate the tires in his car and drive on the railroad tracks.

Elmer was a good role model teaching his children right from wrong, encouraging them to be all they can be, teaching them to be resourceful by being resourceful himself creating things to make jobs easier for himself when there was no one around to help him. Pride in a job well done was instilled in all of us by dad. That pride was displayed by dad not only in his daily work but in his carpet cleaning business, in remodeling he did to their home, landscaping, anything he did. Onlookers would walk by the house saying his landscaping wall looked great and must have been done by a professional. With a smile, dad would say “It was!” Sue, Sandy, Scott and Todd have some big shoes to fill.

Elmer lived a Godly life and always gave of himself to help others, never expecting anything in return. Matthew 25:23 sums it up…”Well done good and faithful servant!”

Elmer will be greatly missed and is survived by his beloved wife, Marge (Peskie) and was the loving father of Susan (Ed and Erin, daughter of Ed), Sandra (Jim), Scott (Catherine and Allison, daughter of Catherine who was like a granddaughter to Elmer) and Todd (Mary). Beloved grandfather of 10 grandchildren – Matthew, Mark, Megan, Molly, Lynn, Kelly, Michael, Dylan, Cameron and Brody and 9 great grandchildren – Hannah, Ella, Bo, Lauren, Aaron, Abby, John, Savana, and Lillian who adored their great grandpa! Elmer is further survived by sisters, brothers, cousins, nieces, nephews, and many other family and friends.

Amid our tears, O Lord, we praise Thee as Thou hast received our loved one to Thyself in glory for all eternity. We thank Thee that Thou has brought him to the knowledge of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. Comfort us with the glorious hope of the resurrection and the life eternal. Grant us grace to say with a believing heart: “Thy will be done,” and to know that Thy will is a good and gracious will even in the present hour. Comfort us through Thy Gospel, which promises strength and help to the troubled and weary. In Jesus name we pray, Amen.

Since Elmer suffered for many years with arthritis, memorials in Elmer’s name may be made to The Arthritis Foundation at www.Arthritis.org/donate or to a charity of your choosing. Flowers may be sent to Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church, 2500 S. 68th St, Milwaukee WI 53219 for the memorial service. For memorial service information, please contact Sandy at 262-546-7073.