Funeral service will be at 10:30 a.m., on Tuesday, Sept. 12 at St. John’s Lutheran Church in New Ulm. Burial will be at St. Paul’s Lutheran Cemetery in New Ulm. The luncheon will be held at the Martin Luther College Gymnasium following the committal.

Visitation will be at Minnesota Valley Funeral Home South, 600 South Broadway Street in New Ulm from 4 to 8 p.m. on Monday. The visitation will continue from 8 to 10:30 a.m. on Tuesday at the church. Memorials may be addressed to St. John’s Lutheran Church or Martin Luther College.

To leave online condolences for his family or to sign the guestbook go to: www.mvfh.org.

Ted is survived by five children, Paul (Carie), Appleton, WI; Carol Laitinen (Wayne), New Ulm; Susan Mattek (James), Watertown, WI; John (Amy), Baraboo, WI; Gretchen Bassett (Ken), Collinsville, IL; his son-in-law, James Bina (Karen), Minnetonka, MN; 23 grandchildren, and 43 great-grandchildren. Ted was reunited in heaven with his parents, Henry and Lillian (Seebach) Hartwig, his wife Lois (2013), his firstborn Katherine Bina (2005), his brother Karl, and his sister Gunhild.

Ted’s earthly pilgrimage began in Red Wing, MN on July 17, 1921. He entered God’s Kingdom of grace when his parents brought him to the waters of baptism on Aug. 13 at his father’s church in Goodhue. During his first year, his parents moved to Hartland, WI, where his father served as pastor of Zion Ev. Lutheran Church. He attended elementary school at St. John’s Lutheran School in Wauwatosa, WI, and in 1935 was confirmed in his Christian faith at his home church. His education continued, from 1935-1943, at Northwestern Prep and Northwestern College in Watertown, WI, after which he completed his pastoral studies at Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary in Mequon, WI. After interrupting his studies in 1944 to teach one year at Milwaukee Lutheran High School (now WLHS), he graduated from the seminary in June of 1947. On July 6, 1947, he was united in marriage with Lois Ruth Wegner. They were lovingly devoted to one another for almost 66 years. Theodore began his first parish pastorate that summer at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Mound City, S.D., where his first two children were born. In 1951, he began his second parish pastorate at Riverview Ev. Lutheran Church in Appleton, WI, where his next two children were born. After eight years in the parish ministry, he accepted a call in 1955 to teach at Dr. Martin Luther College (MLC) in New Ulm where his last two children were born. He served the college as professor of religion and history for 47 years. From 1951-55 he pursued graduate studies at the University of Wisconsin in Madison, and in 1979 he spent two semesters in research and literary work at Oxford University in England. After serving his Lord for 55 years in the Lutheran ministry, he retired from teaching in June of 2002. Ted was privileged to serve St. John’s Lutheran Church, the college, and the Wisconsin Synod in many different assignments. He also actively pursued many interests, among which were music, travel, horticulture, literary work, and sports. He instilled in his family a love for learning, adventure, reliance on God’s Word and a strong family bond.

“Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me bless his holy name. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits.” (Ps.103)

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