Harry Edward Mueller, 97, passed away February 25, 2023, in St. Joseph, MO., where he was born March 13, 1925 and raised by his late uncle and aunt John and Mary (Luebe) Tuschick.
While attending Lafayette High School he was known as 'Jack Tuschick' and loved playing basketball. During his senior year and with WWII continuing and his 18th birthday approaching he decided to enlist. After his discharge in 1946 he returned to his hometown and met and married Sara Atwood on July 20, 1946 and were married for 59 years until her death in 2005.
Harry was a proud Navy Veteran. He served with the Armed Guard which was established in an attempt to provide defensive firepower to merchant ships in convoy or traveling alone. This was done because of the constant danger and shortage of escort vessels necessary to provide the merchant vessels with adequate protection. After graduating the 8 week basic training in Farragut ID he was sent to San Diego for gunnery school then to Treasure Island for orders and back to San Diego where they boarded the SS Robert G Ingersoll and were sent to Hobart, Tasmania where they spent the night. The next morning they left for Karachi, India then onto Bombay to receive further orders. These orders lead them to Calcutta with 500 pound bombs in cargo. After unloading the bomb shipment their ship then traveled empty through the Mediterranean onto Brooklyn, NY where they received shore leave with orders to be back at Treasure Island within 21 days. From Treasure Island they went again to San Diego and from there to Melbourne, Australia then back to Calcutta where they unloaded their cargo of ammunition, rifles, bombs, etc. With no cargo, on the Ida M Tarbell they were sent to Durban, East Africa where they loaded the ship with coal. The coal was delivered to Rio de Janeiro where they stayed for 10 days and were allowed to be off ship. He enjoyed his time there and was very proud of his photograph at the foot of Christ the Redeemer along with 5 other shipmates. The ship then moved to Santos, Brazil where coffee beans were loaded and they headed back to Brooklyn, NY and another leave was given with orders to be back at Treasure Island within 21 days. During his cross country leaves he always stopped in St. Joseph before heading back to the west coast. After returning, they were put on a tanker (the Mission Carmel) and left San Francisco heading towards Tabogon, Philippines. This was the first of three trips to this area. After completing their duties there they returned to San Francisco where they were put on 12 destroyers positioned in the shape of the hands on a clock. His ship was in the 7 o'clock position. The 13th destroyer was in the middle with the Commodore on board. They were headed to Japan when he witnessed a torpedo miss the front of his ship. Tears would come to his eyes when he told this story. After Japan they came back to the states, his duty was complete and he was discharged in February 1946. He then married and they raised two daughters while he worked at DH Schmidt Carriage Company retiring in 1987.
Dad was always full of energy always having some type of project going on. He enjoyed being a member of the Benton High School Boosters in the 1960s building a concession stand and helping to raise money for a new scoreboard. He was a life-time member and past Post Commander with VFW#5531 in Wathena, Ks in the 1980s. After selling his home of 64 years he moved to Assisted Living where his mind never slowed down from continued projects including wanting flowers planted outside to building an 8 foot long workbench in his apartment at Living Community, to asking us to take him somewhere and then somehow convince us to go buy tools, having his favorite female barber, Brittany, that he would only go to, his favorite girlfriend (Alysse) at LC, his favorite Liz (he called her) that did everything he asked for, giving us lists of things to get at the store but always seemed to forget a few so we had to go back, told us how to drive and the route to take, and only wearing certain sweats and tee shirts although he had a closet full. He loved visiting when Hospice came and he could see Heidi and Missie and he ate pop corn and Diet Coke regularly. Everything had to be his way when he wanted it and we all conformed. His favorite inside pastime was putting together jig saw puzzles then gluing and framing them. We have 92 (18 by 24) framed puzzles that he enjoyed completing. He would always comment how hard the puzzle was and before we knew it he had it together (with a little unknown help from the staff).
Harry was preceded in death by wife, Sara Ruth (Atwood) Mueller, his uncle and aunt (Dad and Mom) who raised him, his biological parents Robert "Roy" Raymond Mueller and Lucy M. (Tuschick) Mueller McAfee, his only sibling, Robert Lee Mueller and son-in-law Larry Danner.
Survivors include daughters, Pat Danner, and Sandi (Dwayne) Bressem, grandchildren: Staci (Pete) Gray, Randy (Tisha) Baker, Rachelle (Basil) Grippando and Tim (Julee) Danner and great grandchildren Zach, Alec and Mitch Gray; Ryan, Cameron and Tanner Baker; Kaylie (Nate) and Jayda Grippando and Jacob and Kaitlynn Danner.
In addition to thanking Lisa and Alysse and Mosaic Hospice, we thank and will never forget the special loving care given by Bene and Daniel in Dad's final hours.
Family graveside services with full military honors under the auspices of the United States Navy, and the Missouri Funeral honor team will be March 3, 2023 at Memorial Park Cemetery.
