Robert William Koern

Robert William Koern, Sr., 83, of Eau Claire, passed away Sunday, June 20, 2004, at the University of Chicago Hospital. A Celebration of Life service will be held at 10:00A.M., Wednesday, June 23, 2004, at Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church, 404 E. Glenlord Rd., St. Joseph. Burial with Military Rites will follow in North Shore Memory Gardens, Coloma. Friends may call on the family from 5-8P.M., Tuesday at Starks & Menchinger Family Funeral Home, 2650 Niles Rd., St. Joseph. Memorials may be made to Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church and the VFW 1137. Those wishing to send a condolence message or share a memory online may do so at www.starks-menchinger.com Robert was born on August 3, 1920 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin to August and Wanda (Frederick) Koern. He married Elsie ?Terry? Schubering in Chicago in 1948. In 1982 he retired as Superintendent at Interstate Motor Freight. He served his country in the United States Army, 1st Army during WWII. Mr. Koern was a member of the VFW 1137, the National Rifleman?s Association and a founding member of Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church. Robert is survived by his wife ?Terry?; his son Robert, Jr (Kay) Koern of St. Joseph; a granddaughter ? Holly Ann Koern of Grand Rapids, her fianc? John-Paul Laporte of Farmington Hills; brother Harold R. Koern of Coloma; sisters ? Kay Kuball and Dorothy Ransom both of St. Joseph and many cousins, nieces, and nephews . He is preceded in death by his brothers ? Arnold, Don, Erwin, Herman, and Richard; and his sisters ?Emma, and Sandra Jean. He is also survived by his special adopted family Jim, Karen, Nicholas, Douglas and Andrea O?Dell.