Harlan G. Schwertfeger

Harlan Schwertfeger, 78, of Hutchinson, KS, passed away on March 6th, 2024, after a battle with complications due to Parkinson’s Disease.

Harlan was born on March 12, 1945, to Mildred and Hilmer Schwertfeger in Stafford, KS. After Harlan graduated from Kinsley High School in 1963, he joined the Air Force and was stationed in South Korea working as a medic in the Flight Surgeon’s Office.

After leaving the service in 1968 he returned to Kinsley and jointly owned and operated the local John Deere Kinsley Implement with his father, Hilmer and brother, LeRoy. When they sold the business in 1979, he joined Hesston (AGCO) Corporation where he spent most of his 45-year career in the farm equipment industry.

In 1970, Harlan met and married Janice Musalek in Kinsley. Harlan and Janice went on to have three children, Amy, Travis and Audra.

Harlan was a member of the volunteer fire/ambulance crew in Edwards county and, with Janice, volunteered with Marriage Encounters. He had a passion for Formula 1 and IndyCar racing, cooking and baking, fixing cars and things around the house and playing with his grandchildren. He had absolutely no patience for golf or fishing.

Harlan was predeceased by his parents Mildred and Hilmer and his brothers LeRoy, Carl, Alan and David. He is survived by his wife Janice, his children Amy, Travis and Audra, his daughter-in-law Liesbet, his grandchildren Henry, Greta and Bridget, many brothers-in-laws, sisters-in-laws, nieces, nephews and his favorite grand-cats Eero and Louie.

Services will be held at St. Nicholas Catholic Church on Wednesday, March 13th at 10:30am. Donations in Harlan’s memory can be made to St. Nicholas Catholic Church in Kinsley, KS, Holy Cross Catholic Church in Hutchinson, KS, Traditions Health Hospice and The Michael J. Fox Foundation. All of these organizations provided support to him, and his family is various stages of his life.