Cal E. Mether

REIHER

Posted By: Michael (email)
Date: 11/21/2003 at 16:44:58

Cal E. Mether, 78, 701 Oaknoll Dr. died Thursday, November 20, 2003 at Oaknoll Retirement Center following a lengthy illness.

Cal was born April 13, 1925 in Cedar Falls, Iowa the son of Arbie H. and Ruth Reiher Mether. He was united in marriage to Jean Blakely on September 3, 1946 at the Evangelical Church in Cedar Falls.

Cal received his BA degree from the University of Northern Iowa and received his MA in audiovisual aids from University of Iowa.

He served in the US Army in London, Paris, Berlin and Ireland. In 1944, Cal left the infantry replacement depot in Northern Ireland. Because he could type, he was assigned to Theater Intelligence, G-2 Intelligence Division Supreme HQ Allied Expeditionary Force in London. Underground agents in France, Spain, and low countries spied on the Nazis. Language experts translated their messages and Cal typed the reports. This was Top Secret Information. Cal gave daily reports that were used by General Dwight D. Eisenhower and his staff to make decisions on the anticipated invasion of Europe.

Upon his return from the service he and his father owned and operated Mether Oldsmobile in Cedar Falls, Iowa. Cal later moved to Independence, Iowa where
he managed the Oldsmobile dealership.

Cal had taught at the University of Iowa College of Education where he involved the coordination of faculty needs in producing media and the appropriate use of it. He was a professor and directed pre-service education teachers, the faculty and coordinated AV Production in the Learning Resource Center.

Cal was a member of the First United Methodist Church and was an active in the Iowa City Noon Lion’s Club.

He was a passionate photographer who developed his own photos.. Cal’s photography was often displayed at Oaknoll. He was licensed to hybrid roses for the Jackson-Perkins Company and was a past President of the Iowa Rose Society.

He is survived by his wife Jean of Iowa City; two daughters, Susan Van Ravenswaay and her husband, James of Florida and Mary Pero of Lansing, Michigan; three grandchildren, Aaron, Faye and Ryan; one brother, Lyle D. Mather and his wife Diana of Placentia, California; one sister, Margery Mooney and her husband Bill of Las Vegas, Nevada; one sister-in-law Miriam Blakely of Iowa City.

Cal was preceded in death by his parents.