Walter A. Kollmorgen, 01 Apr 1929 – 09 Sept 2013

KOLLMORGEN, LASE, SCHLUE, NATTA, OLEJNICZAK, BARTELS, HENNINGSEN, BOSSOW, KAISER

Posted By: Sandy Ficken (email)
Date: 11/7/2013 at 16:34:06

Walter A Kollmorgen, 84, Belle Plaine, died Monday, Sept. 9, 2013, at Colonial Manor in Amana.

Services will be 10:30 a.m. Friday, Sept. 13, at the First Lutheran Church in Belle Plaine by Pastor Dean Duncan. Visitation will be from 4 to 7 p.m. Thursday at the Hrabak Funeral Home and an hour before the service Friday at the church. Burial will be in Oak Hill Cemetery with military rites.

Walter was born April 1, 1929 in Bancroft, NE, the son of Arthur and Dorathea Lase Kollmorgen. He graduated from high school in West Point, NE. He enlisted in the army. He served three years – most of that time in the Philippines. He then enrolled at Iowa State College. A year later he was called back to the service and served one year in Korea, where he earned a bronze star.

After graduating from Iowa State he went to Law School at the University of Iowa, graduating in 1957 with a juris doctor degree.

In 1955 he married Mary Ann Schlue in Cedar Rapids. After law school they moved to Clinton where he worked for the John McCarthy law firm. In 1959 he bought the law firm of Victor Vifquain in Belle Plaine. He practiced law there for the next 40 years. He also served on the city council, as mayor and as long time city attorney. After retiring he spent a few years serving as the Veterans’ Administrator for Benton Co.

He is survived by his wife, three children: David (Sandra), North Liberty, Lisa (Mario Natta), Highland Park, IL and Kristen Olejniczak (Lon), Robins; seven grandchildren, Marty, Maggie and Sarah Kollmorgen, Cole and Race Natta and Gabby and Jake Olejniczak; three brothers, Mark (Jeanne), Oklahoma City, Kay (Joan), Humboldt, Robert (Marilyn), Urbandale; three sisters, Ardyce Bartels (Harry), Lakewood, WA, JoAnn Henningsen (John), Rice Lake, WI, and Sharon Bossow (Dick), Clermont, FL; a brother-in-law, Larry Schlue (Duronda), two sisters-in-law, Dorothy Kaiser and Dorothy Schlue and many nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents, a granddaughter, Katherine Kollmorgen, his mother- and father-in-law and a brother-in-law, John Schlue.

Walt was a lawyer with many loyal clients, a master gardener, an avid golfer, and an Iowa sports fan. He was proud of and grateful for a wonderful family.

The family would like to thank the caregivers of Essence of Life Hospice as well as the staff at Colonial Manor Nursing Home in Amana for the compassionate care provided to Walt.

Memorials may be directed to the Belle Plaine Area Ambulance, the Belle Plaine Community Library or First Lutheran Church in Belle Plaine.

Online condolences can be sent to the family at www.hrabakfuneralhome.com under “obituaries.”

Hrabak Funeral Home
Published in The Gazette 11 Sept 2013
Star Press Union 10 Sept 2013