Hilberg, Walter E. J. -- 1930 - 2000

ERICKSON, HILBERG, RUDE, STRAND, OTTESEN, WHEATMAN

Posted By: IA GenWeb Volunteer
Date: 6/24/2010 at 07:40:00

Decorah Public Opinion, Tuesday, February 1, 2000

Walter Hilberg

Walter E. J. Hilberg, 69, of Decorah, died Thursday, Jan. 27, 2000, at Oneota Bowling Lanes in Decorah of an apparent heart attack.

Funeral services were held Monday, Jan. 31, at 2 p.m., at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Decorah, with the Rev. Joan Mau officiating.

Diane Kvamme was the organist. The congregation sang "Blest Be the Tie That Binds," "Children of the Heavenly Father" and "A Mighty Fortress."

Casket bearers were David Ottesen, Kenneth Ottesen, Fred Pahl, Scott Olson, Alan Wheatman and Ben Wyatt.

Burial was at the Lutheran Cemetery in Decorah. The Fjelstul Funeral Home handled arrangements.

Walter was born April 3, 1930, at home on the Glenwood Township family farm of his parents, Ingemar S. and Clara R. (Erickson) Hilberg. He attended rural schools in Glenwood Township.

He served in the United States Army at Fort Bragg, N. C., and was a Sergeant First Class.

Walter was married to Norma M. Rude March 12, 1953, at the Decorah Lutheran Church parsonage.

He was a route salesman for Nehi Bottling, Wonder Bread, Rippin' Good Cookies and Marigold Dairies. Then he worked part-time for Berg Construction and part-time at the Decorah Post Office until he became full-time at the post office. First Walter served as a clerk in the window. Then he was postmaster at Strawberry Point and finished his postal career as postmaster in Ridgeway, retiring there in 1993.

Walter was a member of Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, the American Legion and I.O.O.F. Hobbies included bowling and pitching horseshoes, hunting ginseng, coon hunting and fishing. He had been working part-time at Oneota Bowling Lanes.

Survivors include his wife, Norma; four children and five grandchildren, Connie and Morten Strand of Decorah and children Thea and Erik, Walter E. J. Hilberg Jr. special friend Jean Gray of Deerfield, Wis., and his children Martin and Katherine, Dennis Hilberg of Decorah and son Todd, and Terry Hilberg of Wichita, Kan.; two brothers, Carl and Florence Hilberg of Kelso, Wash., and Sidney and Leona Hilberg of Decorah; two sisters, Olga Ottesen of Decorah and Charlotte Wheatman of Peoria, Ariz.; and numerous nieces and nephews.

Walter Hilberg was preceded in death by his parents; two daughters, Linda Kay and Pamela Marie; and two brothers-in-law, Alvin Wheatman and Milton Ottesen.

Transcribed by an IA GenWeb Volunteer from obituaries found in the Howard-Winneshiek Genealogy Society Library, Cresco, Iowa.