Former mayor Louis Ehmer dies Thursday

DAVE MOSIER/independent editor

Former Van Wert mayor and longtime City Council member Louis Ehmer died Thursday night, reportedly from surgical complications, at Lutheran Hospital of Indiana in Fort Wayne, Indiana. He was 76.

Ehmer, a Massillon native, was one of several managers who moved to Van Wert from the Detroit area when the Chrysler Amplex plant was built here. However, Ehmer, who came Van Wert with his family in 1982, stayed in his adopted community after he retired from his position as production manager at the Chrysler plant.

Ehmer later became involved in local politics, serving 17 years in city government, including one term as mayor, a term as Council president and several terms as a member of City Council. His last political foray was in May, when he ran for the Fourth Ward seat on Council, but was defeated by first-term incumbent Steve Trittschuh.

Ehmer, whose family moved to Michigan when he was young, graduated from Theodore Roosevelt High School in Wyandotte, Michigan. Chrysler Amplex Corporation hired him after a stint in the service during the Korean War.

In addition to politics, Ehmer was very involved in a number of community organizations, serving on the boards of Main Street Van Wert, the Van Wert Area Convention and Visitors Bureau and The Salvation Army. He was named “Volunteer of the Year” for the Van Wert-Ohio State University Extension Economic Development Advisory Group.

He was a member of the Van Wert Lions Club and was named a Dick Bryant Fellow. He also belonged to American Legion Post 178 and Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 5803 in Van Wert, and had served both service organizations as chaplain for many years.

Ehmer is survived by his wife of 54 years, the former Sigrid Kuknat; a son, Eric, of Columbus; one daughter, Laura Riley of Georgetown, Kentucky; and two grandchildren.