Robert S. WOLFE

WOLFE, SOMMERFELD, STOUT

Posted By: Sarah Thorson Little (email)
Date: 3/19/2011 at 23:45:04

March 20, 2011
Fort Dodge Messenger - Iowa

May 12, 1922 -- March 19, 2011

EAGLE GROVE - Robert (Bob) S. Wolfe, 88, of Eagle Grove, Iowa, died March 19, 2011 at the Wright Medical Center in Clarion, Iowa. Services will be 10:30 AM Wednesday at the Eagle Grove United Methodist Church. Burial will be Cedar Township North Cemetery in Fremont, Iowa with full military honors. Visitation will be from 4:00 PM to 7:00 PM Tuesday at the Eagle Grove United Methodist Church in Eagle Grove. The Gunderson Funeral Home and Cremation Services in Fort Dodge are in charge of arrangements.

He is survived by his wife Mary Ellen Wolfe of Eagle Grove; son, Robert D. (Carol) Wolfe and a daughter Becky Sommerfeld; 5 grandchildren and 4 great grand children. He is preceded in death by his parents and a son-in-law, Bruce Sommerfeld.

Robert (Bob) S. Wolfe was born May 12, 1922 to O.J. and Mable Wolfe at Fremont, Iowa. He attended the Fremont schools where he graduated in 1939. After high school graduation Bob attended Central College at Pella until he was called for service in the Army on January 9, 1943. Bob's favorite sport was basketball in which he was a high school participant and was a first team player on the Central College team from 1939 through 1942. Induction into the Army was at Camp Dodge north of Des Moines and basic training was Combat Engineer training at Ft. Leonard Wood in Missouri. After basic training Bob attended the University of Kentucky for a topographic engineering course. Following this instruction he was assigned to a topographic training battalion at Peterson Air Field in Colorado Springs, Colorado. From there he participated in maneuvers in Lebanon, Tennessee. Following maneuvers, he was assigned to Will Rogers Field in Oklahoma City as part of the 3rd Air Force. After further training here, he was scheduled for overseas duty as a part of Detachment A 942nd Engr. Avn. Topo. Battalion. Shortly after arrival in London, England he was assigned to the 325 Wing of the 8th Air Force reconnaissance group, as a member of the Map Distribution Depot of the 942 Topographic Engineers. He was then detached from the 8th Air Force and placed on assignment to the 9th Air Force serving the fighter, bomber, and troop carrier commands for all their map needs. His overseas service besides England was in France having landed on Omaha Beach D+30, Germany, Luxembourg, Belgium, and the Netherlands. He was discharged from service at Camp Grant, Illinois on Feb. 6, 1946. On March 15, 1946 he was united in marriage to Mary Ellen Stout at the Methodist Church in Ottumwa, Iowa. The couple took a month trip to California and Bob transferred to Teachers College (Now the University of Northern Iowa) to finish work on his Bachelors Degree, graduating on November 26, 1947. His first employment was at the Riceville Iowa High School where he served as a Social Studies Teacher for 2 years and as High School Principal for 5 years. He attended the University of Iowa working on his Masters Degree in summer sessions from 1948 through graduation on August 12, 1953. He also did graduate work beyond the MA at Iowa State and Drake Universities. He then accepted a position as High School Principal at Eagle Grove, Iowa where he served in that capacity for 18 years. He was employed by the Eagle Grove Schools for a total of 29 years, the last 11 years serving as an elementary principal. He retired in May of 1983. Bob and Mary Ellen enjoyed their retirement years by traveling having visited all 50 states and all Canadian Provinces plus 8 European countries. Bob was a member of the Eagle Grove United Methodist Church, a past member of the Rotary Club, The Masonic Lodge, and Eastern Star, several professional education organizations and the American Legion and the VFW.