Ralph L. House 1932-2010

BOOK, HOUSE, NELSON, KOTHENBEUTEL, MOE

Posted By: IAGenWeb Volunteer
Date: 3/12/2010 at 21:39:36

Ralph L. House, 78, of Dubuque, died Sunday, Jan. 17, 2010, at his home.

Services will be at 10 a.m. Thursday, Jan. 21, at St. Peter Lutheran Church. Burial will be in West Union Cemetery, West Union, Iowa. Friends may call from 4 to 6 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 20, at Hoffmann Schneider and Kitchen Funeral Home, 3860 Asbury Road. Friends also may call after 9 a.m. Thursday at the church.

He was born on Jan. 17, 1932, in rural Hawkeye, Iowa, son of Fred and Mabel (Book) House. He graduated from West Union High School in 1949.

He married Ginny Nelson on Oct. 8, 1955, at the Little Brown Church in Nashua, Iowa.

He was employed by the former Northwestern Bell Telephone Co. as a lineman and later as the supply and warehouse manager. He retired in 1986, after 35 years of service.

He was an active member of the church and of the Northwestern Bell Pioneers of America Club, which he served as president for a period of time. He enjoyed traveling with the club across the United States. He also enjoyed the outdoors, camping, fishing and spending time in Clear Lake each year. After retirement, he and Ginny wintered in Port Isabelle, Texas, for 15 years.

He will be remembered as a positive, warm, loving, kind, friendly person who never failed to lift up the spirits of everyone around him.

Surviving are his wife of 54 years, Ginny; his children, Kristine (Mark) Kothenbeutel, of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Michael, of Dubuque, Jeff, of Cedar Rapids, and Mark (Teresa), of Red Wing, Minn.; grandchildren, Kaitlyn, Jaclyn, Andrew, Tyler, Timothy and Tanner; a sister, Sara (Don) Moe, of Cedar Falls, Iowa; a niece, Stacy; and a nephew, Tim.

He was preceded in death by his parents; and a brother, Donald.

The family would like to thank all of Ralph's neighbors and friends and the community of St. Peter Lutheran Church for all their kindness and prayers.

Dubuque Telegraph Herald newspaper, Tuesday, January 19, 2010