Alver J. Dingbaum 1930-2006

DINGBAUM, KOELKER, SINGSANK, COSGROVE, DESHAW, HOEGER, VOSS, GIBBS, MAIERS, GARSIDE, GERKEN

Posted By: cheryl moonen (email)
Date: 4/1/2018 at 21:39:00

Telegraph Herald (Dubuque, IA) - Sunday, March 12, 2006

DYERSVILLE, Iowa - Alver J. Dingbaum, 75, of Dyersville, died at 2:20 p.m. Friday, March 10, 2006, at Mercy Medical Center, Dyersville, following a battle with acute leukemia.

Services will be at 10:30 a.m. Monday at St. Francis Xavier Basilica, Dyersville, with the Rev. Jerry Kopacek officiating. Burial will be in Dubuque Memorial Gardens, where military rites will be accorded by the American Legion Post 137 and Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 7736. Friends may call from 2 to 8 p.m. today at Kramer Funeral Home, Dyersville, where there will be a parish scripture service at 4 p.m. and an American Legion Post 137 and VFW Post 7736 service at 7 p.m.

He was born on Aug. 28, 1930, in Petersburg, son of John and Irene (Koelker) Dingbaum. He married Eileen E. Singsank on April 20, 1954, in Luxemburg.

He was educated in the Petersburg schools.

In 1952, he was drafted into the Army during the Korean War where he was assigned to the 179th Infantry Regiment, Heavy Mortar Co. 45th Division. Alver spent 9 months on the front lines near Heartbreak Ridge in communications as a radio operator. He was honorably discharged in 1960, as a Staff Sergeant and was awarded the National Defense Medal, the Korean Service Medal with two Bronze Stars, the Combat Infantrymen's Badge and the United Nations Service Medal. Due to a loss of paperwork, he was unable to receive his Purple Heart.

He was a hard worker all his life, following his time in the military, he began his married life as a farm hand. Then in 1956, he moved his family to Salt Lake City, where he studied telegraphy for the railroad on the GI Bill and began work with the Illinois Central Railroad as a telegrapher. Alver moved his family back to Iowa in 1958, and became a trench digger for the Peoples Natural Gas Co.

Then in 1960, he began his career with Dyersville Ready Mix, as a cement truck driver, an occupation he thoroughly enjoyed. Alver remained with Ready Mix until his battle with Spinal Meningitis caused severe hearing loss in 1970. After persevering rehabilitation to overcome this new challenge, Alver's professional life became his passion as he put his disciplined, tenacious and perfectionist skills to great use as an outstanding upholsterer.

He owned and operated Dingbaum's Upholstery for 35 years and was well known in the community for all of the work he did.

In 1988, following 17 years of complete deafness, Alver was fitted with a 3M Vienna Cochlear Implant which enabled him to hear some sounds and words by transmitting small amounts of electrical current to the auditory nerve. He was the first one in the Dyersville area to receive this device.

He was a lifetime member of the Dyersville American Legion Post 137 and the New Vienna VFW Post 7736, the Dyersville Sportsman Club and St. Francis Xavier Parish.

Alver was an avid card player who enjoyed a good game of euchre. He loved to go fishing, hunting and dancing and work on jigsaw puzzles. He loved to watch his grandson drive in stock car races. His family was his life.

He was a strong, energetic man who endured and overcame many obstacles while enjoying many milestones.

Surviving are his wife, Eileen; a son, Major Leon J. Dingbaum USAF, of Iowa City; three daughters, Sandy Cosgrove, of Cedar Rapids, Connie (Fred) DeShaw, of Worthington, and Karol (Mike) Hoeger, of Dyersville; 11 grandchildren and a great-grandchild; a brother, Lester Dingbaum, of Manchester; five sisters, Veryl Voss, of Guttenberg, Theresa Gibbs, of Earlville, Dorothy Maiers, of Dyersville, Rita (John) Garside, of Dubuque, and Julie (Leo) Gerken, of Independence; and many nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his parents; three brothers-in-law, Anthony Voss, Bill Gibbs and Merlin Maiers; and a nephew, Keith Voss.

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