Ewald Nehring

MERIDEN - Ewald Nehring, 91, of Meriden, Conn. passed peacefully surrounded by family on Friday, June 16, 2017.

Born in 1926 in Germany to Wilhelm and Johanna Wimbler Nehring, he was the eldest born to a farming family of eight. At 16, he was called by his country to serve as a soldier in World War II. He was trained in a Panzer 88 and was at Normandy and the Battle of the Bulge. He was captured by the Americans and escaped after hospitalization for battle wounds; he was then captured by the Russians and sent to Siberia to work on Russian infrastructure. After spending five years in Siberia he was released back to Germany, where he set his dreams on moving west, helping many siblings escape Eastern Europe. When in Siberia he learned to weld railroad rails. On his return to Germany he landed a job in Wolfsburg in the Volkswagen plant as a frame welder. In Wolfsburg he met Elvira "Holli" Nuse, got married, and fulfilled his dream of coming to America. They came into Ellis Island in 1956 and went directly to Meriden, Conn.

He worked for Specialty Metals. He was not a member of the Masons, Shriners, or a politician; but he was a great employee and an artist with a welding torch. He was a teacher of many, and all students thought more of an approval from him than a doctorate from a university. His hobby was repairing and building things for family and friends. His craft was his life and all he wanted from life was a happy family. He worked in the weld shop until he was 89 and continued to work on family projects until the day before he died. He was a member of St. John Lutheran Church and believed the harder you work, the more God does to help you.

Ewald is survived by his loving wife of 63 years, Elvira; son, Uwe Nehring and his wife, Patricia; daughter, Rosemary Morin and her husband, Matthew (his "favorite son-in-law"); grandchildren, Bradley Nehring and his wife, Maureen, and Tyson Nehring; adopted daughter, Judy Thompson; brothers, Willi and Erik; and sisters, Talita, Hannah, and Gretel, along with many loved nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by brothers, Otto and Albert.

Friends are invited to visit with the family on Tuesday, June 20 from 4 to 6 p.m. at Beecher & Bennett – Flatow Funeral Home, 48 Cook Ave., Meriden, followed by a service at 6 p.m. in the funeral home. Burial will be private. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the American Cancer Society or the Meriden Humane Society. To send a condolence to the family, please see www.beechandbennett.com.