Donald Heinrichs

Donald A. Heinrichs, age 83 of Hutchinson, formerly Litchfield, passed away December 9, 2021, at St. Cloud Hospital. A Memorial Service will be held Tuesday, December 21, 2021, at 2:00 PM at Harvest Community Church in Litchfield. A visitation will be held Monday, December 20, 2021, from 5:00 to 7:00 PM at Johnson-Hagglund Funeral and Cremation Service in Litchfield and will continue one hour prior to the service at the church. Interment will be at Ripley Cemetery. Military honors will be provided by Litchfield Military Honor Guard. The service will be livestreamed at www.johnsonhagglund.com. Donald “Don” Anton Heinrichs, the son of Alois and Lola (Adams) Heinrichs, was born June 7, 1938, in Forest Prairie Township (Watkins) Minnesota. He attended school in Cold Spring, graduating in 1955. In 1956, Don joined the United States Air Force and was honorably discharged in 1962. In addition, he served in the Army Reserves for 18 years. Don met the love of his life, Sandra Besaw, on a blind date and the two were married July 25, 1959, in Chesterfield, New York. They were blessed with four children: Leaurie, Debra, Dale, and Doug. After serving his country, Don drove truck while he and Sandra lived in Plattsburg, New York until they moved to Watkins, MN in 1964 and later, Litchfield, MN. He farmed, worked as a carpenter with Elj Construction, and later worked at Uni-Hydro in Cosmos. Don was a talented woodworker. He loved being a carpenter and was known to be able to build just about anything. His attention to detail and fine craftsmanship were evident in the cabinets, TV stands, deacon benches, roll top desks, bedroom furniture, etc., he built. Don also enjoyed fishing and Sudoku puzzles. Faith was important to Don and he attended Harvest Community Church in Litchfield. Don had a heart of gold and was a selfless man. He was a friend to many and helped anyone he could. Don provided excellent care to Sandra in her later years. He was an amazing husband and a loving father, grandfather, and great-grandfather. He will be missed more than words can say. Don is survived by his children: Leaurie (Darrell) Seiffert of Litchfield, MN, Debra Schmid of Hutchinson, MN, Dale (Nancy) Heinrichs of Hutchinson, MN, and Doug (Ruth) Heinrichs of Litchfield, MN; grandchildren: Jessica Munce, Nicole Schmid, Michael Schmid, Ryan Kanniainen, Joshua Heinrichs, Justin Heinrichs, Kayla Nowak, Aaron Seiffert, Chris Seiffert, and Galadriel Heinrichs; 17 great-grandchildren; and sister Emma Augustine of Blaine, MN. He was preceded in death by his wife Sandra; parents Alois and Lola Heinrichs; and brothers-in-law: Tom Augustine, Bob Besaw, Clarence Besaw, and Gary Besaw.