Dean H. Oldenburg
March 19, 1931 — June 21, 2015
Dean Herman Oldenburg was born on March 19, 1931 to Herman and Gertrude (Wendt) Oldenburg in Council Bluffs, Iowa. He attended school in Shelby, Iowa and after the family moved to a farm near Walnut, Iowa, drove to school in Shelby where he graduated with the Class of 1949.
He helped his parents on the family farm until March 13, 1952, when he entered the United States Army, serving during the Korean War. He was released from active duty on December 12, 1953 followed by eight years in the Army Reserves. After his honorable discharge, Dean returned to help his dad farm.
He was united in marriage on June 7, 1958 to Carolyn Saemisch at Trinity Lutheran Church in Avoca, where they remained life-long members. Dean worked at Olsen Grocery in Harlan for nine years before purchasing the Texaco Service Station and operating it as Dean’s Texaco for nearly twenty-five years.
Dean volunteered many hours to Veterans causes, traveling with his wife to different conventions and meetings. He served on the Commission Board for the Veterans Memorial Building for twenty years and on the Veterans Affairs Board for twenty-five years. He was a member of the Shelby County VFW for fifty-four years, where he served as Commander and/or Quartermaster for the local Post, also serving as Department (State) Chaplain for fifteen years, and a member of the Harlan American Legion for fifty-one years.
Due to health issues, Dean became a resident of Salem Lutheran Nursing Home in Elk Horn, Iowa in February of 2014. This is where he died on Sunday, June 21, 2015 at the age of eighty-four years, three months, and two days. He was preceded in death by his parents.
Dean is survived by his wife of fifty-seven years Carolyn Oldenburg of Harlan, Iowa; his sister Donna and her husband Russ Knuth of De Soto, Iowa; his “Harlan Grandchildren”: Travis and Tyler Anderson and Austin and Megan Euchner; sister-in-law Marilyn Robinson of Omaha, Nebraska; brother-in-law Dwight Saemisch and his wife Karen of Denison, Iowa; niece Karla and her husband Rick Jennings of Scranton, Iowa; nephews: Alan Knuth and his wife Deb of Bondurant, Iowa, Jim Knuth and his wife Dawn of Johnston, Iowa, Michael Robinson and his wife Elaine of Harlan, and Mark Robinson and his wife Cathy of Omaha; eleven great-nieces; five great-nephews; five great-great-nieces; one great-great-nephew; other family members and many friends.
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He helped his parents on the family farm until March 13, 1952, when he entered the United States Army, serving during the Korean War. He was released from active duty on December 12, 1953 followed by eight years in the Army Reserves. After his honorable discharge, Dean returned to help his dad farm.
He was united in marriage on June 7, 1958 to Carolyn Saemisch at Trinity Lutheran Church in Avoca, where they remained life-long members. Dean worked at Olsen Grocery in Harlan for nine years before purchasing the Texaco Service Station and operating it as Dean’s Texaco for nearly twenty-five years.
Dean volunteered many hours to Veterans causes, traveling with his wife to different conventions and meetings. He served on the Commission Board for the Veterans Memorial Building for twenty years and on the Veterans Affairs Board for twenty-five years. He was a member of the Shelby County VFW for fifty-four years, where he served as Commander and/or Quartermaster for the local Post, also serving as Department (State) Chaplain for fifteen years, and a member of the Harlan American Legion for fifty-one years.
Due to health issues, Dean became a resident of Salem Lutheran Nursing Home in Elk Horn, Iowa in February of 2014. This is where he died on Sunday, June 21, 2015 at the age of eighty-four years, three months, and two days. He was preceded in death by his parents.
Dean is survived by his wife of fifty-seven years Carolyn Oldenburg of Harlan, Iowa; his sister Donna and her husband Russ Knuth of De Soto, Iowa; his “Harlan Grandchildren”: Travis and Tyler Anderson and Austin and Megan Euchner; sister-in-law Marilyn Robinson of Omaha, Nebraska; brother-in-law Dwight Saemisch and his wife Karen of Denison, Iowa; niece Karla and her husband Rick Jennings of Scranton, Iowa; nephews: Alan Knuth and his wife Deb of Bondurant, Iowa, Jim Knuth and his wife Dawn of Johnston, Iowa, Michael Robinson and his wife Elaine of Harlan, and Mark Robinson and his wife Cathy of Omaha; eleven great-nieces; five great-nephews; five great-great-nieces; one great-great-nephew; other family members and many friends.
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