EHLERT, Paul E. (1932-2017)

EHLERT

Posted By: Karon Velau (email)
Date: 1/28/2019 at 23:54:24

Paul Edward Ehlert
(September 7, 1932 - November 15, 2017)

Paul Edward Ehlert, loyal son, brother, husband, father, and friend left this earth peacefully to join his wife of 65 years in the loving embrace of their Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. A celebration of his life will be held on Tuesday, November 21 at Mount Calvary Lutheran Church, 2214 E 2nd Ave, Indianola, IA. Visitation will be from 9:00 a.m. to 10:45 and services will begin at 11:00. Interment will follow the service.
Paul was born to Edith Mae (Hall) Ehlert and Henry Wilhelm Ehlert in Sumner, Iowa. He graduated from East High School in Waterloo, Iowa in 1950. He met his lifelong sweetheart, Phyllis Fickess Ehlert at the Waterloo Fish Market in 1951, and they were united in marriage on July 27, 1952. Together they raised six children and overcame many obstacles during their life together. They celebrated their 65th anniversary together in the summer of 2017.
Paul worked hard to help provide for his family. He set bowling pins at the Tavern on the Green and served floats and soft drinks as a soda jerk at Miller Drugs during his youth. He worked several years in the power plant at Rath Packing Company before being struck by polio at age 26. He courageously fought through the pain of rehabilitation and proved wrong those who said he would never walk again, returning to Rath’s on the cleanup crew. He started college shortly after, working full-time on third shift before attending classes during the day. He graduated from University of Northern Iowa in 1967 and moved his wife and five children to Council Bluffs where he became the orneriest and most conscientious driver’s education teacher to ever sit behind a passenger side brake pedal. He attended graduate school at Central Missouri State University and earned his master’s degree in safety education in 1977 and taught teenagers how to drive and make decisions for 13 years.
In 1980 Paul moved his family to the Des Moines area and began another career in private industry as a safety and risk improvement specialist. He retired from EMC Insurance Company in Des Moines in 1997 and continued to work part-time until 2015. Paul and Phyllis enjoyed several years of travelling the Midwest and the U.S. together. Paul had a keen interest in Civil War history, so they visited numerous battle sites and museums. They visited both coasts and many spots in between and truly enjoyed seeing the country and meeting its people.
Paul was an avid fisherman and never hesitated to share his fishing stories – we couldn’t tell which he enjoyed more -- fishing or telling stories. Many family vacations were taken in Minnesota and many fish were caught. He was a good card player (but a poor loser) and taught all of his children and many grandchildren how to play cribbage. He was a voracious reader and knew much about many things.
Paul lived a life of service to his Lord, family, church, and community. He was a scoutmaster and taught many boys and young men the scout’s oath, how to make and break a camp, and to always leave a camp-site better than it was found. He was an elder in his church and taught Bible classes to disabled adults living in group homes. He developed a true passion for helping those with special needs and was a faithful volunteer at Helping Hand in Indianola and truly enjoyed delivering meals and companionship to home-bound neighbors for many years.
Paul was preceded in death by his brother Bill, son Tim, and wife Phyllis. He is survived by his children Mark (Karen) of Columbia, Missouri, Wesley of Des Moines, Brian (Jan) of Des Moines, Melissa of Indianola, and Jennifer Ohnemus (Jerry) of Carlisle. His stories and lap will be missed by his numerous grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
In lieu of flowers, please make memorial contributions to the Joshua Fund at Mount Calvary Lutheran Church, 2214 E 2nd Ave, Indianola, IA.
This memorial is provided by Overton Funeral Home, 501 West Ashland Ave., Indianola, Iowa, http://www.overtonfuneral.com/