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WELTER, Robert M. 1929-2015

WELTER, GEBEL

Posted By: K. L. Kittleson
Date: 10/27/2015 at 20:28:25

Obituary for Robert M. Welter

Robert M. Welter (1929-2015)

CEDAR FALLS, IOWA – Bob Welter, 86 of Cedar Falls died at Sartori Memorial Hospital on Sunday, April 26th at 3:00 pm following a long battle with Parkinson’s disease.

Bob was born in Raymond, Iowa on June 16, 1929 son of Christian and Magdalene Welter. Bob served in the United States Marine Corps and is a Veteran of World War II and Korea. As a 17 year old who grew up in Waterloo, Iowa, Bob enlisted in the Marine Corps in 1946, the youngest of 9 children who were raised by their mother having lost their dad to tuberculosis years earlier.

Sgt. Welter was attached to 4.5th Marine Rocket Unit that supported the First Marine Division that landed at Inchon, recapturing Seoul from the North Koreans and later fought in the battle at the Chosin Reservoir where the First Marine Division and the U.S. Army’s 7th Division consisting of 15,000 men, defeated a Communist Chinese force of 120,000 in brutal hand to hand combat in -30 below zero temperatures. A number of medals were awarded for the campaign, in fact the most for a single battle in U.S. Military history.

Medals awarded to Sgt. Robert Welter include:
2 Bronze Stars; Pistol Sharp Shooter, Combat Action, Rifle Expert, Presidential Unit, China Service, Asiatic Pacific Camp, World War II Victory, Asia Navy Occupation, National Defense, Korean Defense Service, Korean War Service, Sgt. Stripes.

Sgt. Welter was discharged following the War and returned to Waterloo where he met his wife Rita. Mr. Welter and Rita Gebel were married at Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in North Washington, Iowa on April 20, 1953 and celebrated their 62nd Wedding Anniversary this past April.

Mr. Welter served as Plant Manager at North American Railcar (later GE Railcar) and farmed north of Cedar Falls with his wife Rita until retiring and moving to Western Home Communities. Bob and his wife Rita especially loved attending and supporting their children and grandchildren at their many activities.

He is survived by his wife Rita, their children, Dave (Tricia) Welter of Cedar Falls, Jeff (LaDonna) Welter of Kansas City, Missouri. Mike (Kathy) Welter of Cedar Falls, and Nancy (Tony) Lynch of Clinton, Illinois; as well as his sister Geneva of Chicago, Illinois; 13 grandchildren and 9 great grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by his parents, five sisters Evelyn, Esther, Gertrude, Leona and Pauline, and two brothers, John and Melvin (Bud).

Memorial Services will be Thursday, April 30th, 10:30 am at St. Patrick’s Church, Cedar Falls with burial following at Greenwood Cemetery also in Cedar Falls. Military Honors will be conducted by the Cedar Falls AMVETS Post 49 Honor Guard and the Marine Corps Funeral Honor Detail. Visitation will be at Richardson’s Funeral Home in Cedar Falls on Wednesday, April 29 6:00-8:00 pm.

Memorials: In lieu of flowers, Bob and his family would welcome Memorial donations to the Veteran’s Park in Cedar Falls to help provide a space to honor all those who have served to protect our freedoms.

Source: Richardson Funeral Service


 

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