Robert Arthur Medenwald

Pleas Madison/Reedsburg -Robert Arthur Medenwald, age 85, died peacefully on December 9, 2009 in Madison , Wisconsin .   He was born in Reedsburg , Wisconsin on July 1, 19 24 .   He studied at St. Peter's Lutheran School , Reedsburg High School , and at age 16 entered the University of Wisconsin - Madison . He interrupted his schooling to enlist in the Army Air Corps during World War II.   After being trained as a meteorologist at the University of Minnesota , he was assigned to the 4th Aircraft Maintenance Unit. He served in the Pacific Theatre, participating in the battles of Guam , Saipan , Iwo Jima , Okinawa and many others. In 1945 he took part in the invasion of the Kwajalein Atoll where he drove troops   to the beach in Duck landing crafts. After the war he returned to Madison and finished his B.S. degree in Electrical Engineering in 1948, and began his 38 year career with Wisconsin Power and Light. He focused on rates, substations, industrial sales, and power production.   On January 30, 19 53 he married Charlene Rachel Edwards at Calvary Lutheran Church in Madison , WI . They had met through mutual friends while she worked as a nurse at the University Hospital .   Together they raised a happy and devoted family of six children, living on Madison 's West Side . He was known for his care and loving devotion to his parents, family, and hometown of Reedsburg. He generously supported the Lutheran Church all his life.   He visited Reedsburg almost every weekend and loved to check on the train cars of the C. & N.W. Railroad which had run by his home as a boy. He liked fishing and pheasant hunting. He enjoyed going up to a cabin every summer with his family and grandchildren. He loved animals, especially Labradors and feeding the birds and squirrels in his backyard.   He is survived by his loving wife of 56 years, Charlene of Madison, and six children: Dr. Nancy A. (David) Steinke of Tucson, AZ; Dr. Janet R. (Bevil) Medenwald Hogg of Soquel, CA; Robert C. Medenwald of Madison, WI; Ruth E. (Danny) Grayless of Orfordville, WI; Mary E. (Karl) Klopotic of Mt. Vernon, WI; and John C. (Pamela) Medenwald of Brooklyn, WI. His grandchildren are: Charles, Julia, and James Steinke; Elliot (Michelle), Antonia, and Graham Hogg; Kate, Savanna, and Jake Grayless; Joe, Anna, and Nate Klopotic; Owen, Riley, and Elise Medenwald.   He is also survived by many nephews and nieces. He was preceded in death by his parents, Emma M. Buhr and Robert F. Medenwald, his brother Arthur, and his sisters: Anita Shorck, Leola Zech, Ruth Bodenstab, and Esther Gerber.   Funeral services will be held at ST. PETER EVANGELICAL LUTHERAN CHURCH, 345 N. Pine St. , Reedsburg on Monday, December 14, 2009 at 11:00 a.m. with Pastor Paul Crolius officiating. A visitation will be held at the church on Monday from 10:00 until the time of services. Burial will follow at St. Peter Evangelical Lutheran Church Cemetery.   In lieu of flowers, memorial may be made in memory of Bob to St. Peter Evangelical Lutheran Church or the American Cancer Society.   Bob and his family would like to thank his HospiceCare team, Senior Helpers, and his family who cared for him.   Their loving support and care during his illness helped Bob stay active and home longer than anyone thought possible.