Orwoll, Oswald Dean 1930-2009

ORWOLL, HOLM, SINCLAIR, GARCIA, NORDSCHOW, SCHNITTJER

Posted By: Joy Moore (email)
Date: 11/13/2012 at 15:34:41

Dean Orwoll, age 78, of Decorah, Iowa, died on Tuesday, June 16, 2009, at the Winneshiek Medical Center in Decorah, Iowa.

Funeral services will be held at 11:00 a.m., Saturday, June 20, 2009, at the First Lutheran Church in Decorah, Iowa, with Rev. Steven Jacobsen officiating. Burial will be held at the Lutheran Cemetery, Decorah, IA.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be given in memory of Dean to the Winnesheik Medical Center Hospice, 907 Montgomery Street, Decorah, IA 52101, Helof Holm VFW Chapter #1977, 104 State Street, Decorah, IA 52101, or to the Dean Orwoll Memorial Fund, 401 Jefferson Street, Decorah, IA 52101.

Friends may call from: 3:00-7:00 p.m. on Friday at the Schluter – Balik Funeral Home in Decorah and after 10:00 a.m. at the church on Saturday morning. There will be a VFW Memorial Service at 6:00 p.m. at the funeral home on Friday night.

Oswald Dean Orwoll was born on October 16, 1930 in Decorah, the son of Osvald “Ossie” Orwoll and Edna (Holm) Orwoll. He married Coleen Sinclair on July 28, 1956 at First Lutheran Church in Decorah. Upon graduation from Decorah High School in 1949, he joined the Air Force as an aircraft mechanic and was stationed in Great Falls, MT, Anchorage, AK and Newfoundland. Upon discharge in 1953, he returned to Anchorage and worked on construction of the Elmendorf Air Force Base. He returned to Decorah and briefly attended Luther College prior to becoming Assistant Manager of the Jack and Jill Supermarket. He then moved to a position as Secretary of the Board and Business Manager for the Decorah Community School, a position he held for 35 years. During his career, he served two terms as president of the Iowa School Business Officials Association and held numerous state and national committee positions. Following his retirement in 1995, he spent 10 years as a Seniors’ Health Insurance Information Program (SHIIP) volunteer and was a Road to Recovery Driver. He was honored for his outstanding work with SHIIP. In 1996, Dean was elected to the Decorah Schools Board of Education, a position he held until 2006. He was twice elected Post Commander of the Helof Holm VFW Chapter #1977 and was a committed volunteer, most recently as Quartermaster.

Dean is survived by his wife of fifty-two years: Coleen Orwoll of Decorah; one daughter: Susan (Luis) Garcia, Rochester, MN.; three sons: Greg, Dubuque, IA., Steve, Rochester, MN., David, Brooklyn Park, MN.; three grandchildren: Kristen Orwoll, Dubuque, IA and Kyle and Bailey Orwoll, Rochester, MN., six step-grandchildren, four step-great grandchildren; a sister Barbara Nordschow, Decorah, IA., a sister-in-law, Ardis (Brad) Schnittjer, DeWitt, IA. and a brother-in-law, Darrell (Arlene) Sinclair, Rochester, MN. He also leaves many nephews and one niece.

Dean is preceded in death by his parents, Osvald and Edna Orwoll and a brother-in-law, Dr. Carleton Nordschow.

Source: Schluter - Balik Funeral Home database

Decorah Lutheran Cemetery
 

Winneshiek Obituaries maintained by Bruce Kuennen.
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