Henry Link passed away with his family by his side at the family home in Oak Harbor, one month shy of his 95th birthday.

He was born in Essen, Germany, Sept. 18, 1921, and came to America at the age of 7. He settled in Minneapolis with his parents, where he learned to speak English at school and at the corner market, and would then go home and teach his mother.

He enlisted in the U.S. Navy in 1942 and served as a seaplane pilot in both World War II and the Korean War.

He married Marjorie Berres in 1944 in Pensacola, Fla.

After his naval career he settled the family in Oak Harbor and took up farming, raising chickens and Black Angus cattle.

After sending his three children to college in the mid-’60s, Henry changed career paths and opened a welding and metal fabrication business on the family farm north of Oak Harbor. He used to say he could weld anything but a broken heart. He worked every day at his shop well into his late 80s.

Three years ago he confessed Jesus as his Lord.

Henry is survived by Marjorie, his wife of 72 years; his children, Julie (John) Wasser, of Stillwater, Minn.; Greg of Silver Creek, Wash.; and Sandy of Enumclaw, Wash.; grandchildren, Tait Wasser (Marijana), Carrie Wasser Andersson (Steve), Zach Wasser (Sara), Tyler Dubsky (Melanie) and Luke Dubsky; and nine great-grandchildren.