Robert Duane KVALE

KVALE, MOSTROM, ELLWOOD, MEYERS, PETERSON, GARCIA, HACKER, STEELE, PEACE, BOYD, PALS, QUANDT

Posted By: Sarah Thorson Little (email)
Date: 1/8/2012 at 14:26:34

November 8, 1929 --- December 24, 2011

LAKE MILLS, IA - Robert D. Kvale, 82, of Lake Mills, died Saturday, Dec. 24, 2011, at Muse Norris Hospice Unit in Mason City. Funeral services will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Friday, Dec. 30, at Salem Lutheran Church in Lake Mills with Vicar Melinda McCluskey officiating. Burial will be in Sunnyside Cemetery in Lake Mills, with military honors conducted by the Otto/Chose Post No. 235. Visitation will be on Thursday, Dec. 29, 2011, from 5-7 p.m. at Mittelstadt Funeral Home, 902 East Main Street in Lake Mills, and will continue one hour prior to services at the church on Friday.

Robert Duane Kvale was born on a farm northwest of Lake Mills, on Nov. 8, 1929, to Rudolph B. and Olga T. (Mostrom) Kvale. He was baptized at North Prairie Lutheran Church on Dec. 8, 1929, by Rev. Frethiem, and was confirmed at Salem Lutheran Church by Rev. Blegen. He attended country school through eighth grade and graduated from Lake Mills High School in the class of 1948. He worked as a farm hand the summers of 1950 and 1951. In October of 1951, Robert was inducted in to the United States Army. He took 16 weeks of basic training at Indiantown, Pennsylvania, and then on Easter Sunday in 1952, he was shipped to Bremer Haven, Germany. Robert then went to Erlangen, Germany, where he was assigned to the 48AAA at AW Sp. Battery D. He was a halftrack driver for three months, and them as a tank driver until September of 1953, when he returned to the States. In October, Robert was released from the Army at Camp Fort Sheridan, Ill. He got a ride to Chicago and took the train to Mason City where he was met by his parents and niece Rozanne Ellwood. Robert farmed with his Dad until March 1, 1955, when he and his brother, Vernell, started farming 5 miles east of Lake Mills.

On March 20, 1955, Robert and Shirley Meyers were married at the Belmond Baptist Church in Belmond, by the Rev. Roliene. Robert and Shirley had two daughters born on Dec. 1, 1959, and July 23, 1966. In September of 1974, the family moved into Lake Mills where Robert went to work for the creamery. He delivered dairy products to the school, nursing home, grocery stores, and cafes. He also had two house routes. After two years at the creamery, he began to work at Jerry's Foodland. In 1986, Jerry sold the store to David Fjelstad, and Robert worked at David's until September of 1987. He then went to work at Fleetguard Filtration, retiring in February of 1997. He enjoyed spending his time woodburning art, drawing pictures with his grandchildren, and sharing jokes with his friends and family. "Too small to be a man; too big to be a kid."

Survivors include his wife of 56 years, Shirley Kvale; two daughters, DeAnn (Don) Peterson, and Raejean (Santos) Garcia, all of Lake Mills; four grandchildren, Shane (Tanya Steele) Peterson, Wade (Ashley Hacker) Peterson, Monica (Dylan Peace) Peterson, and Armani Garcia; and four great-grandchildren, Shae, Grayson, Savannah, and Kennadee. He is also survived by a brother, James (Gloria) Kvale of Lake Mills; a sister, Doris (Dick) Ellwood of Sun City, Ariz.; sisters-in-law, Violet Kvale of Lake Mills, Ida Mae Boyd of Des Moines, Thelma Pals of Clear Lake, Ardis Quandt of Hatton Wash., and Arlene Meyers of Holmen, Wis.; a brother-in-law, Anthony (Marge) Meyers of Seattle, Wash. He was preceded in death by his parents, Rudy and Olga Kvale; two brothers, Vernell Kvale, and another in infancy; and Shirley's siblings, Helen, Gertrude, Geraldine, Amy, Ruth, Harm, Lawrence, Henry, and Allen Lee.

Mason City Globe Gazette - Iowa
December 28, 2011