Herr Funeral Home

Mass of Christian Burial for Father Kenneth H. Herr, also a retired priest of the diocese, who died on Nov. 12 after suffering a stroke the week of Oct 29. “He was a person for all people,” Father Dietsch told a crowd that filled St. Boniface Church on Evansville west side to almost-overflowing. The sanctuary was totally full, and the choir loft was more than half full for the Mass. Bishop Joseph Siegel concelebrated the Mass with Bishop-Emeritus Gerald A. Gettelfinger and more than 45 priests of the diocese. Deacon Richard Preske assisted, and more than a dozen other deacons vested and participated. Benedictine Father Godfrey Mullen served as cantor, and Fathers Dave Martin and Jay Davidson served as lectors. Fathers Dietsch, Martin and Davidson are members of a diocesan priests’ support group that Father Herr was a member of. Other members who concelebrated included Father Frank Renner, Father Henry Kuykendall and Father John Boeglin. Father Lowell Will, who was a classmate of Father Herr’s at Collegium Canisianum Seminary and University in Innsbruck, Austria, also was a concelebrant. Father Dietsch began by recalling a Native American saying along the lines of, “When you are born, the world rejoices and you cry. Live so that when you die, the world is crying and you are rejoicing.” “I am here to share with you a banquet of tears, sorrow, pain and separation,” Father Diestch said. “I know that I speak for Bishop Siegel, Bishop Gettelfinger and my brother priests when I say that this hurts us all very much. However, I’m also here to share a banquet of hope, family, love and – without doubt – final rejoicing.” Father Dietsch said he will remember Father Herr for how “kind, genteel and tender he was in dealing with people in his ministry.” He added that society often mistakes those traits as signs of weakness. “That is not true,” he said. “Father Kenny had the right touch. He did not overpower tho...

Boniface Parish Church, but his history in Evansville goes further back than that. Father Herr passed away at the age of 77 Monday morning to the shock of many. "I’m still trying to sort this all out. I mean, he's gone. I can't fathom it, but he is,” said John Schiff, the person once in charge of maintenance at St. Boniface. “l’ll never ever forget him." Kenneth Herr was born in January 1941, and ordained into priesthood in March 1968. He served at churches and schools all around Evansville, including most recently at Memorial High School, and St. Boniface, a church he loved so much, he lived right next door."A lot of times he would never use the word father with me. He would say, hey John, this is Kenny. And I’m going, Kenny? Oh, hi father,” Schiff said. “I was very close to father for 11 years... If you almost wanted to say the perfect person, Father Kenny was...Everybody liked Father Kenny, everybody."Schiff worked with Father Herr up until his retirement in 2014 and the two remained close after. Schiff said his friend was incredibly kindhearted, always willing to help, and tough--not just mentally."The man was unbelievably strong,” Schiff said. “When you shook his hand, you knew it, and he was the kindest, most gentlest person I’ve really ever known, much less a priest.”Schiff said Father Herr loved to sing, and he loved to fish. Schiff spent a lot of time at his lake house, which is where a neighbor found him after he suffered a stroke in late October."Very sad. Very saddened, because it was kind of sudden,” said Lisa Popham, Assistant Principal at Memorial High School. “There wasn't going to be a recovery, which sometimes you think, you know, of course you think that they'll recover, and when we heard he was in hospice, then that just really, really hit us hard, it did… Loved him. Loved him to death."The impact Father Herr left on the places he touched ...