Manfred "Fred" Hans Hassel Obituary (1933

Mr. Manfred "Fred" Hans Hassel, age 86, of Madison, Indiana entered this life on October 2, 1933 in Weinheim, Germany the son of the late Hans and Else Zinser Hassel. At age 15 he enrolled in an apprenticeship program with Freudenberg that developed into a career as a chemist and later as a production manager specializing in manmade leather products. He was united in marriage on June 30, 1956 to Dietlinde "Linda" Harnisch in Weinheim, Germany and this union was blessed with children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. Fred's career briefly brought the family to Madison, Indiana in the early 1970s when he worked to establish production at Robus Products. In 1984, after establishing several other such production lines around the world, Fred and Linda settled in Madison where he continued in his position at Robus until his retirement. Never one to sit still for long, he began working at McDonald's. He enjoyed spending time with family and friends, walking in his neighborhood near Hereford Lake and chatting with his neighbors, sharing the bounty from the peach and apple trees that grew in his yard, and cultivating his flower and vegetable gardens. Fred also enjoyed wintering in Ft. Myers, Florida, and was a fan of Indiana University basketball. He was a member of the German-American Club of Louisville, Kentucky and the Prince of Peace Catholic Church. Fred died on Wednesday, October 9, 2019, at 8:52 AM at the Thornton Terrace Health Campus in Hanover, Indiana. Click Here for Tribute Video A LOVING FAMILY Fred will be missed by his loving wife of 63 years, Dietlinde "Linda" Harnisch Hassel; his daughters, Monika Schmitt and her husband, Heinrich of Gorxheimertal, Germany, Beate Forstbauer and her husband, Bernd of Karlsruhe, Germany; his grandchildren, Christiane Hassel and her husband, Bryan Duncan, Natascha Fath and her husband, Sven, Timo Schmitt and his wife, Victoria, Lisa Weilert and her husband Alex, and Jennifer Forbes and her husband, Simon; his great-grandchildren, Neo, Julyen, Lena, Jana, Lana, and Merle. He was preceded in death by his father, Hans Hassel, his mother, Else Zinser Hassel, and his sisters, Margot and Gertie. MASS OF CHRISTIAN BURIAL A Mass of Christian Burial will be said on Saturday, November 2, 2019 at 1:00 p.m. by Father Christopher A. Craig at the Prince of Peace Catholic Church, 413 East Second Street, Madison, Indiana. Interment will follow in the Saint Patrick Catholic Cemetery, 305 West State Street in Madison, Indiana. VISITATION Friends may call Saturday from 11:00 AM until the time of Mass at the Prince of Peace Catholic Church, 413 East Second Street, Madison, Indiana. MEMORIAL EXPRESSIONS Memorial contributions may be made to Prince of Peace Catholic Schools or Prince of Peace Catholic Church. Cards are available at the funeral home or at the church on the day of the services. Make An Online Memorial Donation To send a flower arrangement in memory of Manfred "Fred" Hans Hassel, please click here to visit our sympathy store.