ROBERT P. SCHWEGMAN 1922-2003

WOLFE, SCHWEGMAN, CRAHAN, RYAN, FOSTER, BERNHOFT, CAIN, WHITE

Posted By: Mary Durr (email)
Date: 1/7/2004 at 08:46:30

Robert P. Schwegman

Telegraph Herald - Oct. 29, 2003

Robert P. Schwegman, 81, of 5285 Valley Forge Road, died at 10:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 25, 2003, at The Finley Hospital, Dubuque.

Services will be at 10 a.m. Thursday at St. Joseph the Worker Catholic Church. Burial will be in Mount Olivet Cemetery, Key West, Iowa. Friends may call from 3 to 8 p.m. today at Egelhof Siegert & Casper Westview Funeral Home, 2659 Kennedy Road, where there will be a St. Joseph Parish wake service at 7 p.m.

Mr. Schwegman joined Dubuque John Deere Tractor Works in 1957 as the first certified safety manager, retiring in 1982 after 28 years of service.

He was born on Aug. 31, 1922, in Worthington, Iowa, son of Henry and Susan (Wolfe) Schwegman. He and the former Evelyn Crahan were married on Nov. 29, 1947, at Nativity Catholic Church, Dubuque.

He was a graduate of Dubuque Senior High School and attended Loras College. A veteran of World War II, he served with the Army as medical administrator in Japan.

He served as chairman of the American Foundryman Society Code Writing Committee for the American National Standard Institute. He also served on the board of directors and had served as past president of the Iowa Safety Council and Dubuque Safety Council. He was a member of the American Society of Safety Engineers and the American Industrial Hygiene Association.

Bob was known for his extraordinary ability to mentor and prepare another generation of safety directors and managers for the future. Through his commitment and his willingness to educate the younger safety engineers, he produced more safety directors and managers than any safety manager in the company.

He was a member of St. Joseph the Worker Parish, a charter member of Thunderhills Golf Club and a former member of the American Legion, Dubuque Post 6, and the former Manchester Golf & Country Club.

Surviving are his wife, Evelyn "Evie" Schwegman, of Dubuque; a daughter, Susann (Tim) Ryan, of Sacramento, Calif.; two sons, William (Sue) Schwegman, of Dubuque, and Thomas (Andrea) Schwegman, of Davenport, Iowa; grandchildren, Liam, Casey and Maura Ryan, of Sacramento, Nathan Schwegman, of Springfield, Mo., Lee Schwegman, stationed with the Navy in Sasevo, Japan, and Jama and Julia Schwegman, of Davenport; nieces, Stephanie Foster, of Phoenix, Ariz., and Karen Bernhoft, of Des Plaines, Ill.; and a nephew, John Cain, of Durango, Iowa.

He was preceded in death by his parents; and sisters, Kathryn Cain and Margaret "Jane" White.