David Kemmer, 83

Nov. 5, 1938 —

Dec. 25, 2021

 

LIME SPRINGS - David P. Kemmer, age 83, of Lime Springs, Iowa, died on Saturday, Dec. 25 in Mayo Clinic Hospital, St. Marys Campus in Rochester, Minn.

A graveside service will be held in the spring of 2022. 

Mr. Kemmer was born on Nov. 5, 1938 in Pocahontas County, Iowa to Peter and Esther Kemmer. His family relocated to LeRoy, Minn. and then to Lime Springs, where David graduated from Lime Springs High School in 1957. 

He attended Iowa State University for 18 months before moving to Chicago, Ill. to attend the William Braid White School of Piano Technology. Upon completion of his training, he worked for Lyon & Healy Harps in Chicago and then as an assistant to Hugh Burdick in organ repair in Wisconsin, before moving to Rochester. He worked for Hanson Music and then established his own piano and pipe organ maintenance business. For many years, he also tuned and regulated pianos for Hamilton Music. 

He prided himself on his work and tuned over many years, for many world-class artists. On his business cards he had printed “Concert Technician to the Celebrities,” which included such well-known names as George Winston, Victor Borge, Rosemary Clooney and George Shearing. His work was known far and wide, having tuned in countless homes, schools, churches and colleges in the area.

One of the highlights of his career came in 2002, when Liberace’s rhinestone-studded piano was brought to Hamilton Music for David to work over before it was shipped to the Liberace Museum in Los Angeles.

Mr. Kemmer is survived by his cousin, Barbara (Jerry) Robinson and aunt, Irma Kemmer, both of Lime Springs.