Emmett Burger Polder 1914-2009

BURGER, POLDER, POLDERBOER, BRENNE

Posted By: Cheryl Moonen (email)
Date: 1/20/2015 at 16:54:44

Telegraph Herald (Dubuque, IA) - Monday, January 5, 2009

DYERSVILLE, Iowa - Emmett Burger Polder, 94, of Dyersville, died Thursday, Jan. 1, 2009, at Mercy Medical Center-Dubuque, after a short illness.

Services will be at 10:30 a.m. today at Kramer Funeral Home, Dyersville, with the Rev. Phil Kruse officiating.

He was born on Dec. 14, 1914, son of William
and Sadie (Burger) Polderboer, Dundee. In 1950, the name Polderboer was reduced to Polder.

He married Edith Ham on Aug. 22, 1940, at St. Patrick's Rectory in Washington, DC.; she preceded him in death.

Emmett graduated from Iowa State College with a master's degree in zoology and later taught ecology at Loras College in Dubuque. He was the Botanist for the State of Iowa while building Backbone State Park near Strawberry Point. Emmett published 11 writings before 1965, and in the past five years has published four books on plants and animals.

Survivors are a sister, Ruth Whitaker, of Allison; five nephews; and four nieces.

He also was preceded in death by a sister, Wilma Brenne, of Park Forest, Ill.

Online condolences may be left for the family at www.kramerfuneral.com.