Chamberlain, Ronald Joseph (1949-2019)

CHAMBERLAIN PETSCHE GAUL DINAN OLSASKY KLEFFMAN SCHULTE

Posted By: Marthann Kohl-Fuhs (email)
Date: 1/15/2020 at 22:12:44

Shelby County lost another Genealogist:
Fouts Funeral Home - Woodbine, Iowa

Ronald Joseph Chamberlain
March 20, 1949 ~ December 28, 2019

VISITATION
Thursday January 2, 2020 4:00 PM to 7:00 PM
St. Mary's Parish Hall
104 N 2nd St
Panama, IA 51562

ROSARY AND PRAYER SERVICE
Thursday January 2, 2020 6:30 PM
St. Mary's Parish Hall
104 N 2nd St
Panama, IA 51562

MEMORIAL MASS
Friday January 3, 2020 10:00 AM
St. Mary s of the Assumption Catholic Church (St. Mary s Parish Hall, Panama)

BURIAL
Friday January 3, 2020 11:30 AM
Washington Township Cemetery
F32 & Elmwood Rd
Panama, IA 51562

Ronald Joseph Chamberlain was born on March 20, 1949, to Irvin C. and Agnes M. (Petsche) Chamberlain in Harlan, Iowa. He received his elementary and secondary education at St. Mary’s School of Panama/Portsmouth, Iowa, and graduated from J.F. Kennedy College at Wahoo, Nebraska. In addition, he continued his education at Dana College in Blair, Nebraska, Iowa Western Community College in Council Bluffs, Iowa, and Iowa State University; where he received his teaching and coaching endorsements.

Ron loved history, sports and genealogy. He played high school baseball, basketball, and town-team baseball. He attended college at Wahoo on a baseball scholarship. He played baseball for over 33 years, coached baseball for 20 years, and coached basketball for 15 years. He was a salesman for World Book encyclopedia for 18 years, winning many distinguished local and national awards. His favorite ambition was to be a teacher. He taught in many school districts in southwest Iowa, both as a teacher and filling in as a substitute. His favorite saying was, “Ordinary people working together do extra ordinary things.”

His love for history led him to memorize all 99 counties of Iowa; which he could name in less than a minute. He devoted much interest to the one room school house, particularly the school building which was moved from the country into Panama when it was purchased by Msgr. Schiltz, pastor, and used as part of St. Mary’s School System up to 2005. Today the “Panama One Room School House Museum” continues as an area tourist attraction.

Ron was instrumental in founding the Western Iowa Pioneer Cemetery Association (W.I.P.C.A.) in 2010, which is an organization of volunteers who encourage restoration of pioneer cemeteries by locating unmarked graves, replacing tombstones, and beautifying appearances of abandoned pioneer cemeteries in western Iowa. One of his favorite topics was veterans who may have served in the Civil War. Ron’s great-grandfather was a POW veteran of the Civil War and is buried in Washington Township Cemetery.

Ron died on December 28, 2019, at the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha, Nebraska, attaining the age of 70 years, nine months and eight days.

Ron was preceded in death by his parents, Irvin and Agnes Chamberlain; his sister, Grace Gaul who died in 2012; and all of his aunts and uncles. He is survived by his brother, Fr. Bob Chamberlain of Des Moines, Iowa; sister, Betty Lord (Dick) Dinan of Elkador; twin siblings, Al (Paula) Chamberlain and Alice Chamberlain both of Omaha; twin siblings, Duane (Kathy) Chamberlain of Omaha and Jane (Dave Olsasky of Des Moines; sister, Diana (Dave) Kleffman of Glenwood, Iowa; daughter, Wendy Schulte of Queens Creek, Arizona; four grandchildren; two great-grandchildren; and many nieces, nephews, and friends who loved him and will miss his ability to talk about their ancestry.