Edward Winter

EDWARD WINTER

Cedar Rapids

Edward F. Winter of The Meth-Wick Community died Jan. 1, 2015.

Survivors include sons, Lonnie Winter of Llano, Calif., and Richard (Linda) Winter of Maui, Hawaii;

daughter, Carol (Glen) Randolph of Tucson, Ariz.; sons, David Winter of Lexington, Ky., William Winter and Timothy (Denise) Winter of Cedar Rapids; grandchildren, Curt (Natalie), Robert (Laurie) and Sean Randolph, Jorge (Miriam) and Mike (Ashley) Galindo and Dustin, Josie and Gabriel Winter; great-grandchildren, Tatum, Emerson and Phoebe Randolph and Ethan, Hailey and Megan Galindo.

He was preceded in death by his wife, Evelyn Grube Winter; his parents, Martin and Ida; sisters, Gertrude Cole and Loretta Dotzel; brother, Earl; a grandson, Jeff Winter; an infant brother, John; and twin sons, Gerald and Ronald, who died in infancy.

Edward was born Sept. 14, 1915, on the family farm in Jo Daviess County, Ill., to Martin and Ida (Stadel) Winter. He graduated from high school in Scales Mound, Ill., in 1931 and from Iowa State College in 1939 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in civil engineering. He was inducted into two honorary fraternities: Tao Beta Pi Engineering fraternity and Scabbard and Blade Military fraternity. He was commissioned a second lieutenant in the Army Field Artillery Reserve in June 1939.

Ordered to active duty at Fort Sill, Okla., in January 1942, he served several years teaching recruit fillers and completing advanced artillery officer courses. During the organization and training of the 63rd "Blood and Fire" Infantry Division, he was assigned to the 863rd 105 mm Howitzer Battalion at Camp Van Dorn, Miss., as 5-2 Intelligence Officer. The 63rd Division shipped out to Marseille, France, in 1944, joined the front lines south of the Saar River, battled through the heavily defended French Maginot line and the Siegfried line to advance into Germany and pursue the German ground troops until their surrender on "VE" Day.

During his four years of instruction, training and combat he earned expert marksmanship medals in both carbine and pistol, as well as the Good Conduct Medal, European Theatre Ribbon and the Bronze Star, with Oak Leaf cluster. Years of service as staff training officer in the Reserve 103rd Infantry Division Artillery, followed by assignment as commanding officer of the local Civil Affairs training unit, qualified him for successive promotions, retiring with the rank of colonel.

As Cedar Rapids city of building official from 1962 through 1982, he received numerous awards and certificates of appreciation, namely from Citizens for People with Disabilities, Cedar Rapids Office Education Committee, Iowa Building Official and Iowa Engineering Society, Iowa Commission of Persons with Disabilities, Phil Roberts Award for Outstanding Service to Building Code Develop-ment and Administration from the International Conference of Building Official, Whittier, Calif.

A memorial service is pending with Cedar Memorial Park Funeral Home.

Memorial donations in Ed's name may be made to Camp Courageous.

Online condolences may be left at www.cedarmemorial.com.