Harold "Red" Emert

Harold ‘Red’ Emert, 96, of Sabetha, Kansas died on Monday, January 2, 2023, at the Apostolic Christian Home in Sabetha.  Red was a life-long resident of Sabetha, Kansas.    

Red was born June 1, 1926, in Severance, Kansas to Lloyd and Maggie (Hatz) Emert. Red was baptized as a child of God at the First United Methodist Church in Sabetha.  He attended Sabetha schools until 1944 and then, at the age of 18, he enlisted in the United States Army to follow his two older brothers to WWII.   His WWII experiences included assisting in the release of Jewish captives from the concentration camp of Dachau, Germany.

Red was the sixth of eight children, two girls and six boys, Don, Lucille, Donna, Dale, Bob, Harold ‘Red’, Marion, and Darryl ‘Dutch,’ born into the Emert family.  After returning from the war in Germany, Red was a delivery man for Coca Cola in Northeast Kansas and was well-known in small towns throughout Nemaha County.  Red married Delia ‘Ferne’ Brant on August 10, 1956, and they were blessed with one son, John.  In 1962, Red and Ferne opened The Family Shoe Store on Main Street in Sabetha and served the community with various styles of footwear until 1997.  

Red and Ferne enjoyed an active retirement for many years in Sabetha until Ferne’s death in January 2007.  After Ferne’s death, Red continued to be active in the community visiting friends at the Apostolic Christian Home, Cobblestone, and Sabetha Manor.  He also helped to solve all the world’s problems with his buddies at Ampride.  For many years, Red was an expert gardener and loved to share his produce.  Red enjoyed watching The Lawrence Welk show and many sporting events on TV until macular degeneration impacted his eyesight.  In his later years, he continued to enjoy listening to TV programs and all his Big Band CDs.  Red and Ferne were life-long residents of Sabetha residing on Grant Street and Parkview Drive. 

Red was preceded in death by his wife, Ferne in 2007; his two sisters; and his five brothers.

Red is survived by his son, John (Kimberly) of Mission, Kansas; his grandchildren Frank (Anne) of Overland Park, Kansas, and Molly (Michael) Campbell of Manhattan, Kansas; and one great-granddaughter, Claire Ferne Campbell.