Former Mo. congressman passed away in Hannibal following bouts of pneumonia.
HANNIBAL, MO. (AP) -- UPDATED: April 20 at 5:12 p.m.
KHQA's Lindsey Boetsch was able to attend former Mo. congressman Harold Volkmer's funeral Wednesday.
About one hundred people joined together at the Holy Family Church in Hannibal to say good-bye to ten term Congressman Harold Volkmer.
He served most of his adult life as a servant of the people, decades of that in Congress.
He died over the weekend in Hannibal after he suffered from several bouts of pneumonia over the winter.
Volkmer is survived by his wife, three children, four grandchildren, and three great grandchildren.
-----------------
Harold L. Volkmer, a 10-term Democratic congressman from northeast Missouri, has died at the age of 80 in America's Hometown of Hannibal.
The James O'Donnell Funeral Home in Hannibal. Mo., says Volkmer died there Saturday after several bouts of pneumonia.
Volkmer served in the Missouri Legislature before being elected to Congress in 1966. He served on several House committees, including Judiciary and Agriculture, and chaired the Agriculture Subcommittee on Small Farms and Forests.
In his obituary, it is said that Volkmer was once nicknamed “The Roadrunner” by the late U.S. Senator Tom Eagleton in awe of the ground he could cover and the work he could accomplish in a day seemingly tirelessly.
Harold was constantly busy, reviewing a legal case for the NRA’s Civil Rights Defense Fund right up to recent days. Click here to read more from David Hardy with Of Arms and the Law.
Volkmer's wife, Shirley, died in 1995, and in 1996, he lost his re-election bid to Republican Kenny Hulshof.
Volkmer married Dian Poole Sprenger in 1997 and she survives, along with three children, four grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.
U.S. Senator Roy Blunt released the following statement: “Our thoughts and prayers go out to the Volkmer family in light of their loss. I had the opportunity to get to know Harold Volkmer after I was elected to Congress, and I appreciated the chance to build a friendship with him during the years that followed. Harold was a dedicated public servant and a proud Missourian, and he will certainly be missed.” – U.S. Senator Roy Blunt (Mo.)
KHQA's Chad Douglas spoke to former Hannibal Mayor John Yancey and retired judge Bob Clayton about remembering Mr. Volkmer.
John Yancey says, "I'd say that Harold Volkmer was a man that represented his people with a lot of feeling and a lot of time and energy put into his work."
Bob Clayton says, "Harold taught me all I needed to know about politics. I ran against him in 1966 for state representative."
Yancey says, "He had a reputation for being a hard worker. I mean a hard worker. He set the bar really high when it came to personal campaigning."
Clayton says, "Harold, I learned, is a hard campaigner and hard worker. We didn't have any bad words. It was a good lesson for me to know your opponent."
Yancey says, "I'm sure that that is what kept a lot of people from challenging him. He liked a good tussle."
Clayton says, "I thought Harold had a great ability to find the causes that hit the nerves of people."
Yancey says, "Harold and I weren't always on the same page. We were in the same book, but we were in the same business. We were representing the people."
Clayton says,"Both of my children worked for him in summer jobs. He and I had a great relationship."
Yancey says, "I'm sure there are an awful lot of people in Northeast Missouri that benefited from his willingness to work because you could hear stories of how he went the extra mile for people."
Clayton says, "He'll be missed."
Yancey says, "Harold will be missed. You always miss good people when they pass."
We also spoke to Tom Boland today about Volkmer's passing.
Boland told me Volkmer was very helpful in the mid 1990's to get federal money secured to build the new Mark Twain Memorial Bridge at Hannibal.
(Copyright ©2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
TV Station Profiles & Public Inspection Files forKHQA