The Last Second Generation Owner Of This Faribault Family Business Passes Away

The downtown business community along with many others who have gone to Burkhartzmeyer Shoes in downtown Faribault are mourning the loss of Erma Adeline Burkhartzmeyer who passed away on March 22nd.

Erma was the last of the 2nd generation of family owners of Burkhartzmeyer Shoes. According to Erma's obituary, she moved to Faribault after graduating high school in 1946 from Wagner South Dakota and lived here with her sister Faye. From there I'd say the rest is history as "she joined the church choir at Trinity Lutheran where she met her husband of 62 years, Al Burkhartzmeyer. Erma worked at Nutting Truck and Caster Company and after marriage helped her husband and his brothers (Walter “Putts” and Donald “Buck”) open Burkhartzmeyer Shoes. This expanded the shoe repair business started by Ferdie and Martha in the mid-1930s. She later worked at Brett’s Shoe Department and the SAS Factory Shoe store in Medford, all owned by the Burkhartzmeyer family."

To celebrate Erma's life, Burkhartzmeyer Shoes will be closed tomorrow morning, while the family and community will come together at Trinity Lutheran Church.

Erma is survived by her son, Bruce and his wife, Sue of Faribault; four grandchildren, Sarah (Erik) Hromatka, Timothy Burkhartzmeyer, Patrick (Holly) Burkhartzmeyer, and Ryan (Christine) Burkhartzmeyer; seven great-grandchildren, Tyler, Ella, and Lukas Hromatka, Maxwell, Zachary, and Connor Burkhartzmeyer and Ava Burkhartzmeyer.

We offer up our sincerest condolences to the entire Burkhartzmeyer family. Erma, along with the rest of the Burkhartzmeyer family were instrumental and still are to the vibrancy and success of businesses located in and along Downtown Faribault.