1913
Robert
2008
Robert DeWall
December 9, 1913 — March 6, 2008
Robert B. "Bob" DeWall passed away on Thursday, March 6, 2008. Bob was born in Correll, Minnesota on December 9, 1913, the eldest child of Herman and Grace DeWall. The family moved to Appleton, Minnesota two years later where Bob attended school. Bob was the captain of the Appleton basketball team which went to the State Tournament in his junior year. The family then moved to Morris, and Bob graduated from Morris High School in 1931.
Bob went to Carleton College in Northfield, Minnesota and graduated in 1935. During his junior year he joined other Carleton students in visiting China, including Tiananmen Square where Bob loved to describe a large protest demonstration that was going on at the time, where the students had to be hustled away to safety.
Bob studied business in graduate school at the University of Minnesota for one year. He then was hired by Northwestern National Life Insurance Co. where he met his future wife, Marion Ringham. They were married August 17, 1940. After a honeymoon, they lived for two years in Houston, Texas, Bob working for NW National Life. Then he was hired by International Milling Co. by his Carleton friend Atherton Bean, and moved to Waco, Texas for one year. When Bob's father suddenly died, Bob and Marion moved to Morris to take over his father's Lutheran Brotherhood Insurance mortgage loan business.
The DeWall Agency would remain in business making primarily farm loans until Bob closed it in 1998. Bob was active in civic activities in Morris for many years. He was President of the Morris Lions Club, served as a Scoutmaster, was on the Board of the Federated Church for several years, was on the Morris School Board, and was President for 20 years of the Morris Cemetery Association. Bob was active in politics, was Chairman of the 7th District Republican Congressional Committee, and was a Delegate to the GOP National Convention in San Francisco in 1956. In the 1950s Bob was a founding member of the West Central Educational Development Association, which was successful in convincing the Regents of the University of Minnesota to establish the U of M campus in Morris.
Bob loved spending time visiting his five children as they moved around the country. Bob and Marion traveled extensively all over the United States and many foreign countries. His hobbies were golfing, raquetball, and mainly gardening, planting flower gardens and caring for his beautiful huge lawn.
Bob is survived by his wife of 67 years, Marion, a brother, Richard (Diane), five children: David and David's wife Marion, San Antonio, TX; Tom (Carole), Carlisle, PA; Jim (Lisa), St. Louis Park, MN; Craig (Petra), White Bear Lake, MN; and Debbie (Mike) Matustik, Austin, TX; eleven grandchildren, and seven great grandchildren. He was predeceased by two sisters: Jean Morris and Lorraine Ostdahl.
Bob went to Carleton College in Northfield, Minnesota and graduated in 1935. During his junior year he joined other Carleton students in visiting China, including Tiananmen Square where Bob loved to describe a large protest demonstration that was going on at the time, where the students had to be hustled away to safety.
Bob studied business in graduate school at the University of Minnesota for one year. He then was hired by Northwestern National Life Insurance Co. where he met his future wife, Marion Ringham. They were married August 17, 1940. After a honeymoon, they lived for two years in Houston, Texas, Bob working for NW National Life. Then he was hired by International Milling Co. by his Carleton friend Atherton Bean, and moved to Waco, Texas for one year. When Bob's father suddenly died, Bob and Marion moved to Morris to take over his father's Lutheran Brotherhood Insurance mortgage loan business.
The DeWall Agency would remain in business making primarily farm loans until Bob closed it in 1998. Bob was active in civic activities in Morris for many years. He was President of the Morris Lions Club, served as a Scoutmaster, was on the Board of the Federated Church for several years, was on the Morris School Board, and was President for 20 years of the Morris Cemetery Association. Bob was active in politics, was Chairman of the 7th District Republican Congressional Committee, and was a Delegate to the GOP National Convention in San Francisco in 1956. In the 1950s Bob was a founding member of the West Central Educational Development Association, which was successful in convincing the Regents of the University of Minnesota to establish the U of M campus in Morris.
Bob loved spending time visiting his five children as they moved around the country. Bob and Marion traveled extensively all over the United States and many foreign countries. His hobbies were golfing, raquetball, and mainly gardening, planting flower gardens and caring for his beautiful huge lawn.
Bob is survived by his wife of 67 years, Marion, a brother, Richard (Diane), five children: David and David's wife Marion, San Antonio, TX; Tom (Carole), Carlisle, PA; Jim (Lisa), St. Louis Park, MN; Craig (Petra), White Bear Lake, MN; and Debbie (Mike) Matustik, Austin, TX; eleven grandchildren, and seven great grandchildren. He was predeceased by two sisters: Jean Morris and Lorraine Ostdahl.
To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of Robert DeWall, please visit our flower store.