MTFCA Forum

I received a phone call last night from a mutual friend and looked on Google this morning to confirm it.

From the mortuary site on the web "It is with deep sorrow that we announce the death of Herman Kohnke (Clare, Iowa), who passed away on April 20, 2020, at the age of 73, leaving to mourn family and friends. Family and friends can light a candle as a loving gesture for their loved one. Leave a sympathy message to the family in the guestbook on this memorial page of Herman Kohnke to show support"

Herm was a good friend and did a lot of babbit work for me. He bailed me out one time when I had a knock in a newly rebuilt engine and checked the rods and straightened the one offender and the engine ran perfectly thereafter. Good by old friend!!!!

A Great loss for all! With Greatest Sympathy!

Hank Lee and Family

This is very sad news, indeed. Herm's impact on this community cannot be ignored. Thank you for sharing this with us, Tom.

A real loss to all. I learned a lot from him. He will be missed .

Didn't know him from Adam, but what few posts of his I've read, seems like he knew his stuff, and also wasn't afraid to express his opinion. My kind of guy. I'm sure he will be missed. RIP.

God speed Herman! You were a wealth of information. You will indeed be missed.

What a shock. Had he been ill for long?

Tremendous knowledge, now lost. Hopefully we were listening.

Rest in peace. May perpetual light shine upon you Herm.

Very sad to hear of Herman's passing - we've had numerous discussions (some heated) over the last 30 years !!!

What a sad loss. Babbitting is becoming a lost art unfortunately. Hopefully his son is going carry on his legacy, I know he worked side by side with him.

My condolences to the Kohnke family

Sad news indeed. Deepest condolences to the Kohnke family. We have indeed lost a good one.

While I did not personally know Herm, I followed all his posts and respected his experienced opinions. This will be a great loss to our hobby community. My condolences to his family.....John Jackson

Aww Shucks...

That certainly did not make my day!

RIP Herm, I will definitely miss our endless and bottomless phone discussions and debates about the 'why's' of certain things.

You knew your craft better than most, you stuck to your guns better and longer than most, and I'd like to think your 'customer satisfaction" list of customers would also be the best (or at least a tie). I am glad that I had the honor to call you 'friend'.

Fair winds and following seas...

Very sorry to learn this sad news. Enjoyed reading Herm's posts and the knowledge he shared with the Forum. Condolances to family and friends.

Stunned.
I always enjoyed his posts, even, if not especially, the lengthy ones. He knew a lot, and will be missed by many.

Very sad news. Hopefully the family can know how much he was respected here.
Very bright, meticulous man that knew his stuff.
He shared what he could on this forum and I'm thankful he did. Love his posts.
I liked his style too.
Gonna miss your posts here Herm. He'll be above, watching us every time we read his posts and think of him.

Sad day He will be missed

I feel very sad for Herm and his family. I enjoyed his posts on the Forum & he really knew his stuff. He will be missed.

Keith

So SAD!
I have learned a great deal from his photos/posting and phone calls!
He will be missed GREATLY!
Best to his family!

Condolences to the Kohnke family,talked to Herm many times, he was always willing to answer my questions,I stopped by his shop once while on vacation,very hospitable.

Herman Kohnke: Thank you!

Herman was always kind and helpful In the conversations I had with him. He never expressed a need to end our time, and always invited me to call him again. I had hoped to speak with him again soon.
There was a man who was not afraid of telling you how he felt and I thanked him for that.
For those of you who do not know much of the value he brought to us, (along with his cantankerous rants), we lost a great resource of knowledge.
My condolences to those who loved him.
Ken Buhler

A real loss for the T community. At this point in my life, 73 doesn't seem to be that old! We will miss his very interesting, detailed postings. He gave me a lot to think about, as I'm certain he did others too. My condolences to the family.
David Dewey

Herm straightened and brazed up a pan for me last year. Before I shipped the pan to him I asked if I should crate it; Hell no he said, wrap it in plastic and put your address on it, those pans are tough! He had some great advice for me on my project as well and we talked at length on the phone. Very generous with his time. I will miss him. My condolences to his family.

Oh no !! I so enjoyed his participation on this Forum and very much increased my Model T knowledge by reading of Herm’s experiences. Like Jerry said, “ I hope we were listening”.. to him. Prayers for God’s comfort an Grace to the Kohnke family.,

A walking encyclopedia on Model T's. Had the opportunity to meet Herm in February when he completed straightening my Model TT's crankcase. Peace be with you.

While I did not always agree with his opinions, which he had many, I had plenty of respect for him and his vast knowledge of Model T’s. I did not know he was sick. It must have been sudden. I’m sure many are wondering, was it the virus that took him? If so, it is a reminder for everyone, here, at our ages, to take the necessary precautions to stay safe. RIP, Herm. You will be missed. Jim Patrick

Herm was a great asset to the preservation of Model T's. A true professional in his workmanship and knowledge. I never met him but communicated with him via E-mail a few times . . . he always had an answer. He didn't suffer fools well, but if you weren't a know-it-all, he would take the time to explain things. We lost a wealth of wisdom with his passing.

I'm shocked and saddened to hear this news.