Ralph Norman Alvestad (1917-2014)

ALVESTAD, HANSON, OTTEMAN, BELZ

Posted By: Mark Christian
Date: 5/10/2014 at 10:17:30

Obituary From Adams Soderstrum Funeral Home, Story County, Iowa.

Ralph N. Alvestad
September 1, 1917 - April 4, 2014

Ralph Norman Alvestad was born Sept. 1, 1917 in Roland, Iowa. He was the second of three sons born to Henry and Emelia Alvestad. He was baptized, confirmed and married in Salem Lutheran Church in Roland. He was educated in Roland schools and graduated from high school in 1935. In the fall of 1940, he enrolled in the school of civil engineering at Iowa State College. After one year he put college on hold and enlisted in the Army, serving four years during World War II. He was in Hawaii when Pearl Harbor was bombed, and moved with Gen. Douglas MacArthur's army from Australia to New Guinea and the Philippines. After the war he returned to Iowa and re-enrolled at Iowa State, where he graduated with a degree in civil engineering in 1948.

In June of 1947, he married Irene Hanson of Roland, who he first saw in the choir loft at church. She was the joy of his life, a loving wife of 65 years. The couple had two children together. His engineering work took them to Texas, Missouri, Waterloo, Iowa, and finally to Gladbrook, where he worked for Gethmann Construction as a project manager from 1956 until his retirement. He was a member of Christ Lutheran Church and served as president of both the Gladbrook School Board and Gladbrook Library Board. He was a member of the American Legion, and of the Iowa Engineering Society, where he served on the scholarship committee for the Master Builders of Iowa and also with a group to initiate a construction engineering curriculum at Iowa State University. In 2005, Ralph and Irene moved to Story City, Iowa, where they became members of Immanuel Lutheran Church.

He was a voracious reader up until his last days. He enjoyed crossword puzzles, fishing and especially spending time with children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by an older brother, Burton, and younger brother, Donald, who was a B-17 pilot killed in an air raid over Germany during World War II. He is survived by his wife, Irene, two children: son Dennis and wife Anne, of Ankeny, daughter Carole Ann and husband Dr. Larry Otteman, of Ames; two grandchildren: Dr. Alec Otteman and wife Andrea and their children Avery, Anders Ralph and Alma, of St. Paul, Minn. and Andrea (Otteman) Belz and husband Adam, of Minneapolis, Minn.

Memorials may be made to Immanuel Lutheran Church, Bethany Manor or the Story City Library.

APR 8 Funeral Service 01:30PM - 02:30PM
Immanuel Lutheran Church
604 Lafayette Ave.
Story City, IA, US, 50248

Cemetery Details
Roland Cemetery
Roland, IA, 50236

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