Louis Alex Kuhlmann

Obituary

Beloved husband, father, grandfather, and great-grandfather, Louis Kuhlmann of Rochester, Minnesota, passed away on September 6, 2026, in the skilled nursing facility of The Homestead at Rochester at the age of 87.

A memorial service will be held at a later time, when most of the immediate family can attend.

Lou was born on October 13, 1938, to Leslie & Elsie (Loesche) Kuhlmann in Saint Louis, Missouri, where he grew up alongside his older brother, Charles. He attended college at the University of Missouri School of Mines and Metallurgy in Rolla, Missouri where he obtained a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering and a Master of Science in Engineering Mechanics. In 1961, after college, Lou spent six months on active duty with the U.S. Army National Guard before returning to the Illinois National Guard for two years of reserve duty

It was in St. Louis that Lou met his lifelong love, Miriam Mueller, a young teacher for the deaf who happened to live in the same apartment complex. On June 29, 1963, the pair married at Lutheran Church of Webster Gardens in Webster Groves, Missouri. They welcomed the first of three sons in 1964 (Joel), with two more following in 1966 (Mark) and 1968 (Kurt).

In 1967, Lou moved his young family to Midland, Michigan where he worked for Dow Chemical, a company that he would ultimately remain with for 30 years. He took a sabbatical, however, in 1975, when he and Miriam moved their family of five to the Philippines, where they served as missionaries with Wycliffe Bible Translators/Summer Institute of Linguistics (SIL) and Lutheran Bible Translators at Nasuli, on the island of Mindanao. It was there that they adopted their fourth child, a daughter (Richele).

Lou and his family returned to Midland in 1977 and established firm roots. Lou resumed his job with Dow Chemical and was an active member of St. John’s Lutheran Church, where he contributed many faithful years as an elder, Bible study leader, and choir member.

An adventurous soul at heart, Lou was a passionate sailor and spent much of his free time on the waters of Lake Huron and Lake Michigan. His favorite boat, Scherzo, a MacGregor 25, took him on many exploits all over the Great Lakes. Back on land, his chief hobbies were tennis, volleyball, woodworking, photography, and cycling.

In 2000, Lou and Miriam relocated to a newly built family home in Greenbush, Michigan, where he attended Trinity Lutheran Church, Oscoda. As he had at St. John’s in Midland, Lou served on the church’s Board of Elders and sang in its choir. On the shores of Lake Huron, he had unfettered access to his beloved big water, and a wood shop where he spent long hours building countless wonderful and ingenious things, including beautiful, handmade grandfather clocks for each of his children. The following years were filled with peaceful days on the lake, domestic and international Elderhostel trips, and many family reunions that will live forever in the memories of his entire clan.

Lou and Miriam moved to The Homestead at Rochester in 2022 where Lou enjoyed making friends and chatting with fellow residents and staff daily. His more recent favorite pastimes included reading, browsing on his computer, watching old films, taking walks, and getting together with family whenever possible.

Lou is preceded in death by his parents and older brother, Charles, and sister-in-law, JoeAnn. He is survived by his wife, Miriam, his sons, Joel (Kathy), Mark (Mary), and Kurt (Lori), and daughter, Richele (Tor). He leaves seven grandchildren: Abby, Emily, Nate, Anna, Pali, Erica, and Grace, and four great-grandchildren: Raegon, Gwendolyn, Oaklyn, and Morgan.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests contributions to Lutherans for Life (https://lutheransforlife.org/donate).

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