Robert E. Callender

Robert E. Callender, 90, passed away Saturday, May 31st, 2014, in Sun Prairie, Wisconsin, after a long battle with lung disease. Born April 6th, 1924, in Green Bay to Lester and Elsie Callender, Robert graduated in 1943 from Green Bay West High School.

He was a World War II veteran, proud of his service in Europe with Company A, 553rd Engineers of Patton's Third Army. After the war, he returned to Green Bay and in 1946 began working for the City of Green Bay in the Parks and Recreation Department, as a truck driver. He worked his way up to become the senior carpenter, retiring in 1985.

A tireless tinkerer, he ran a small engine repair business and remodeled older homes, which he and Jewel rented for many years. Robert was an advocate for lifelong learning and attended classes at NWTC nearly every semester for more than thirty years.

Robert married Jewel Wuerger on September 15th, 1951, at St. John's Lutheran Church, De Pere. She preceded him in death on January 29, 2014. They made their home in Green Bay, and together they raised three children. They loved to travel and spend time with their children, grandchildren and in later years, their great-grandchildren. In 2005, Robert traveled to California with his son Ronald to visit Walter Kreft. He and Jewel cruised to Alaska in 2006 with their children. In 2009, he toured the World War II Memorial in Washington DC with daughter Bonnie and her husband.

Robert served as a board member for Cenex (Midland) for 25 years. A longtime
member of Grace Lutheran Church, he served as an usher as well as an usher captain. He and Jewel enjoyed attending and hosted many reunions of the 553rd Engineers over the years. They also enjoyed spending winters in their home in Florida. They were regular patrons of the Green Bay Community Theater and enjoyed musicals at St. Norbert College and Mount Dora, Florida.

Robert is survived by his daughters, Bonnie (William) Bell, Sun Prairie; Barbara (Paul) Pawlowski, Rothschild; son, Ronald (Ramona) Callender, Onalaska: six grandchildren, Nicole (Adam) BellCorelli, Christopher (Kirby) Bell, Megan (Angel) McKnight, Lyz (David) Kuboushek, Ryan (Jerica) Callender, and Anne Pawlowski; six great grandchildren, Haley, Brynn, Eliana, Owen, Lexie and Reid; sister-in-laws Eunice Lemke of De Pere and Pat Wuerger of Appleton and brother-in-law, William (Mardelle) Wuerger of Madison, along with nieces and nephews.

Robert was preceded in death by Jewel, his wife of 62 years; his parents; in-laws Raymond and Hazel Wuerger; brothers Milton (infant), Eugene (Beatrice) Callender, and brothers-in-laws, Alvin Lemke and Raymond Wuerger.

Visitation will be held from 5:00pm until 7:00pm on Friday, June 6, 2014, at Newcomer Funeral Home, 340 S. Monroe Ave., Green Bay, *(Monroe Ave., is closed. Access to funeral home is available off Madison St., One Block West of Monroe Ave.,)* Visitation will continue on Saturday from 10:00am until the time of service at 11:00am at Grace Lutheran Church, 321 S. Madison St., Green Bay, with Pastor Julie Wrubbel-Lange officiating. Military Honors will follow the service. Entombment will be at the Shrine of the Good Shepherd Mausoleum.

Bob had a lifelong love of motorcycles, cars, airplanes, and his family. Robert was fond of saying, "We've had a good life and a wonderful family. If everyone had as good a family, there wouldn't be such trouble in the world."