Leo Harold Soderholm (1921-2018)
SODERHOLM, SAAREM, MARSHALL, REYNOLDS, JOHNSON, SLONIGER, COONEY, SIMMONS, SORENSON
Posted By: Mark Christian
Date: 5/17/2021 at 16:53:12
Obituary From Adams Soderstrum Funeral Home, Story County, Iowa.
Leo Harold Soderholm, age 96, died on February 1, 2018 at the Green Hills Retirement Community in Ames, IA. Funeral services will be held at 10:00AM on Wednesday, February 7, at Bethesda Lutheran Church. Visitation will be from 5:00PM to 7:00PM on Tuesday, February 6, at Adams Funeral Home. Burial will be in Lincoln, NE.
Leo was born October 27, 1921 in Lincoln, NE, the only child of Joel Herman and Anna Saarem Soderholm. He attended Lincoln High School. He studied at the University of Nebraska one year before entering the Army as a private. He served with the 411th Anti-Aircraft Battalion as their radar officer. The unit trained in NC and England before being part of the D-Day invasion and crossing France into Germany. He was honorably discharged in 1946 with the rank of Captain. After serving in WWII, Leo graduated from the University of Nebraska with a Bachelor of Science Electrical Engineering degree in 1949.
Leo married Mary Anne Marshall of Verdigre, NE in 1948. They had four children – John Charles who died as an infant, Paul, Kathryn and Anne Kristin. Mary Anne passed away in 1983 and he married Pauline Reynolds in 1985.
Following graduation from the University of Nebraska, Leo was employed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture for research related to electrical power use in agriculture. He obtained a Master of Science degree in Electrical Engineering in 1953 from the University of Nebraska. After a period of employment with Leuck Radio Supply of Lincoln, the family moved to Los Angeles, CA, where Leo was employed by RCA as the manager of the Nuclear Instrumentation Services. Following two and a half years of employment in Los Angeles, a move was made north to Lafayette, CA, and later to Walnut Creek, CA, where Leo was employed as a senior engineer with Wilkens Aerograph which later became a division of Varian.
In 1966 a move was made back to the Midwest where he returned to employment with the U.S. Department of Agriculture. He served in Ames, IA, as a Research Leader for 20 years, retiring in 1986. During this time he also obtained a Doctorate degree from Iowa State University.
Leo was a member of the honorary fraternities of Sigma Tau, Eta Kappa Nu, Pi Mu Epsilon, Gamma Sigma Delta and Sigma Xi. He served as chairman of the Rural Electric Power Committee of the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers. He was owner and president of Electronic Supply of Ames from 1984 until 1988 and was the president of Amlec, an electronic manufacturing firm.
He was treasurer of the Ames chapter and state association of the National Association of Retired Federal Employees. He was an active member of Bethesda Lutheran Church and was on the committee that formed the Endowment Fund. He was a life member of the American Legion and the Veterans of Foreign Wars and President of the 411th AAA Gun Battalion Association from 1995 until its last meeting in 2008 when only four veterans were able to attend.
Leo is survived by his three children Paul (Jeri) Soderholm, Durham, NH, Kathryn (Tim) Johnson, Minneapolis, MN, and Anne Kristin (Mark) Sloniger, Nevada, IA, two step-sons, Paul (Phyllis) Reynolds and Payce (Jody) Reynolds, seven grandchildren, Becky (Ryan Birkenholz) Soderholm, Patricia Soderholm, Teresa (John) Cooney, Stacey (Brian) Simmons, Brandon Johnson, Garrett (Noell Sprynczynatyk) Johnson and Sarah (Matt) Sorenson, six step-grandchildren, fourteen great-grandchildren and three great-great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his first wife (Mary Anne), his second wife (Pauline), his parents and his infant son (John Charles).
Memorials may be given to the Bethesda Endowment Fund, the Green Hills Retirement Community or the charity of your choice.
http://www.adamssoderstrum.com/
Story Obituaries maintained by Mark Christian.
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