Obituary for
Carl E. Ehlert
Carl Ehlert passed away on April 11, 2009 in his home and with his children at his bedside. Carl moved to Polson, Montana from Vandalia, Illinois in 2004 to be near his children: Anita and Barry Hansen in Polson, and Steven and Vicki Ehlert of Spokane. Carl was born in Schleswig, Iowa in 1922. He married Elizabeth Joan Davies in 1945, after serving in WWII as a U.S. Navy airman/mechanic. He earned a bachelors degree on the GI Bill at Iowa State College and went on to teach High School Agriculture in Iowa until 1954. In his next career he sold fertilizer for Swift & Company in Litchfield, Illinois. He returned to school in 1974 and earned a Masters Degree at Southern Illinois University in vocational rehabilitation. That degree landed him in the Vandalia State Penitentiary as an instructor until 1987. Carl remained active throughout his life, and volunteered often to help in varied areas such as the School Board, Boy Scouts, his church, rural water development, and most recently at 82, manning the cash register at the St. Joseph Hospital cafeteria where he made many friends. He was an avid storyteller and quick to share the details of his knowledge of gardening, wine making, bee keeping, fishing and hunting. During his last years in Montana he thoroughly enjoyed fishing on Flathead Lake. Carl was preceded in death by his parents Erdmann and Carolina Ehlert, his brothers Dewey and Loren, and his wife, Joan. His daughter Anita Hansen, son Steven Ehlert, sisters Loraine Groves and Delores Arends, of Iowa, and his grandchildren Stephanie Ehlert, Robin Leabman, Scott Ehlert, Elizabeth Hansen, and Warren Hansen survive him. A Memorial Service will be held at Grogan Funeral Home in Polson, on May 9th at 1:00 P.M with Rev. John Payne officiating. Military honors will follow the service at the funeral home A reception will follow at the home of Anita and Barry Hansen. Messages of condolence may be sent to the family online at www.groganfuneralhome.com.
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