His four grandparents were born in Germany.In 1942, he was in the Marines as a bomb disposal expert, receiving the Purple Heart twice and the Bronze Star for gallantry.In 1961, Luetkemeyer was appointed to the banking board by J.
Millard Tawes while serving as president of the Equitable Bank and Trust Company.
The position determined which banks received deposits from the state and would be considered a conflict of interest under current regulations today.He was the grandfather of actress Julie Bowen (born Julie Luetkemeyer).