Harold T. Wiedemann

May 10, 1934 – October 9, 2008

Harold Theodore Wiedemann, 74, passed away on Thursday, October 9, 2008, at his home in College Station after a short but valiant battle with cancer. Visitation will be from 5 to 7 p.m. Sunday, October 12, at Memorial Funeral Chapel, College Station. Memorial services will take place at 2 p.m. Monday, October 13, at Grace Bible Church. Honorary pallbearers will be members of the Caleb Sunday School Class.

Harold was born on May 10, 1934, in Mission, Texas, to Ted and Delia Fisher Wiedemann. He had an exciting and educational childhood in the family's citrus groves in the Rio Grande Valley. He graduated from Sharyland High School in 1952 and then from Texas A&M University in 1956 with a Bachelor of Science in Agricultural Engineering.

He served in the U.S. Army from 1956 to 1958 at Ft. Benning and Ft. Bliss, attaining the rank of Captain, then shortly thereafter returned to College Station to begin his career with Texas A&M. He received his Master of Science in 1969, and worked 42 years for A&M as a teacher and research engineer, retiring as a Professor Emeritus in Agricultural Engineering in 2000.

During his research career at the Texas Agricultural Experiment Stations in Lubbock and Vernon, Harold developed several notable implements that are still used today. His chaffy grass-seed metering system is now the industry standard and manufactured by six companies.

He developed a low-energy grubber that is an effective method of controlling brush species and a concept that is used worldwide. The disk-chain-diker is a cost effective and energy-efficient implement that won him the American Society of Agriculture Engineers 'Engineering Concept of the Year' award in 1990.

He consulted on land clearing projects in Argentina and Australia, authored over 140 journal articles and papers during his career, and served as president of The Rangeland Technology and Equipment Council, Society for Range Management. That organization honored him with an Outstanding Achievement Award in 1997.

His civic and faith-based works have included serving as president of Vernon Rotary Club in 1991 and campaign chair for Wilbarger United Fund in 2000, being a member of The Gideons, and running a TYC Prison Ministry for 5 years.

He led numerous Bible studies in Vernon and College Station, based on his years of study of Biblical creation, as augmented by study trips such as the one he completed through the Grand Canyon in 1993.

He was preceded in death by his father, Ted, in 1949, and his mother Delia in 2002.

He is survived by his wife of 23 years, Jan, of College Station; son and daughter-in-law, Matt and Lisa Wiedemann of Austin; son and daughter-in-law Clay and Traci Wiedemann of Georgetown; daughter and son-in-law Lynne and Russell Simmons of Kiowa, Colo.; and daughter and son-in-law Carole and John Reed of Strasburg, Pa. He is survived by eleven grandchildren; Aidan, Jackson, Cam, Shayne, Cody, Mindy, Trey, Jarred, Kevin, Dominic, and Mark; and two great-granddaughters Madalynne and Makayla. He is also survived by sons Matt and Clay's mother, Sally Wiedemann of Austin; stepbrother and stepsister-in-law Fred and Charlotte Proudfoot of Bryan, and his beloved cat Nicholas.

Memorials may be made to Hospice Brazos Valley, The Gideons, and Institute for Creation Research.