Hamilton County

 

Sgt. Orval Fritz Arthur Einspahr

 

 

 

Orval Fritz Arthur Einspahr was born Dec. 12, 1919 to Ernst and Emma Plagens Einspahr. He died June 29, 1998 and is buried in Graceland Cemetery, Webster City, IA.

Sgt. Einspahr served with the U.S. Army in World War II with the 38th Regiment in the European Theater of Action. He was awarded the Bronze Star.

Obituary:

Orval Einspahr, 78, Webster City, died Monday, June 29, 1998 at the Season Hospice Center at Rochester, Minn. Funeral services will be held at 10:30 a.m. Friday at the St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Webster City, with Rev. Travis Schmidt officiating. Burial will be in the Graceland Cemetery prior to the service time. Graveside military rites will be conducted by American Legion Post 191 of Webster City. Visitation will be at the church Thursday from 5 to 8 p.m. and until 9 a.m. Friday.

Orval Fritz Arthur Einspahr, son of Ernst and Emma (Plagens) Einspahr, was born Dec. 12, 1919 at Kenesaw, Neb. He attended schools at Flager, Colo., graduating in 1938. He also attended Concordia Teacher’s College in Seward, Neb. During World War II, he served as sergeant in the U.S. Army - 338th Regiment in the European Theater of Action. He was awarded the Bronze Star. On June 20, 1946, he married Dorothy Dreyer at Fenton. The couple resided in Webster City. He has been employed at International Harvester, Peoples Natural Gas, the City of Webster City Water Department, Butternut Bread Company, Montgomery Wards, and at the U.S. Postal Service for 27 years in Webster City and Fort Dodge.

He is survived by his wife; son and daughter-in-law, Phillip and Susan Einspahr, Rochester, Minn.; daughters and sons-in-law, Elizabeth and Lance Lorentzen, Decorah, Julie and Timothy Muther, Rockford, Ill., and Mary Ellen and Charles West, St. Paul, Minn.; grandchildren, Joshua Bottorff, Brita Lorentzen, Mary and Thomas Einspahr, and Hannah and Katrina Muther; great-grandchildren, Cody and Cameron Marvin; sisters Nelda Kottmeyer, Estes Park, Colo., Elbe Geer, Boulder Colo., and Elvera Mueller, Greeley, Colo.; and several nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his parents; step-mother, Emma Einspahr; brothers, Harold and LaVern Einspahr; and sister, Bermueda Kleber.

Mr. Einspahr was a member of the St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, where he was an Elder, a choir member, a volunteer of the Lutheran Braille Workers, American Legion Post 191, Lutheran Laymen’s League, and the Webster City Birthday Club. He was also a driver of Meals on Wheels for several years, and an RSVP volunteer.

Source: Daily Freeman Journal, Webster City, IA - July 2, 1998