Paul Lloyd Baumgartner

1929 - 2021

St. Peter - Paul Lloyd Baumgartner was born on February 21, 1929 in Berne, IN, the youngest child of Grover and Rose (Fankhauser) Baumgartner. He earned his Bachelor of Music degree from Heidelberg University (Tiffin, OH) and was doing graduate study at the Eastman School of Music (Rochester, NY) when Uncle Sam called him to serve in Korea as a chaplain's assistant. He resumed studies at Eastman where he met Helen Bilhorn; they were married on January 30, 1955.

Upon graduation, they were appointed as short-term missionary teachers at Miyagi College for Women (Sendai, Japan). In 1958 they started work toward doctoral degrees in piano performance at Indiana University; he finished his at the University of Arizona in 1974. After teaching at the University of Wisconsin (Stevens Point) and Chowan College (Murfreesboro, NC), Paul accepted a faculty position at Gustavus Adolphus College (St. Peter, MN) in 1964, where he taught until 1991. For several decades the Baumgartners concertized together as a four-hand piano duet team throughout the country and around the world. They played many benefit recitals for the Global Mission Institute (Luther Seminary, St. Paul, MN), where graduate students from overseas train for service in their home countries.

Paul died on January 13, 2021, seven months after his beloved Helen. They are survived by children: Pr. Mary Lou Baumgartner (New Windsor, NY), Pr. Carol Baumgartner (Pr. Michael Mueller) (Janesville WI), Dorothy Baumgartner (Pr. Mikkel Hustad) (Clinton WA), John Baumgartner (Peter Kleinlein) (NYC), Tom Baumgartner (St. Peter); grandchildren Irene Mineoi (Rachid Amrani), Yuki Mineoi, Maya Mineoi, Peter Mueller (fiancée Jackie Maier), Emma Mueller (Ronan Rogers), Rachel Mueller, Kari Hustad and Annika Hustad; great-grandchildren Iman and Youssef Amrani; and brother-in-law David Bilhorn (Portland OR).

In-person services will be scheduled at First Lutheran Church St. Peter at a later date, with burial at Resurrection Cemetery. Memorials suggested to First Lutheran Church or Gustavus Adolphus College.