Robert W. Green
Harry C. “Bud” Crowl Jr.
Ted Hoff
of Council Bluffs
Marian Hensley
Stan Grote
Ron Mahoney
Bob Pettepier
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Crowl young at heart, living life with optimism, compassion MEGAN PARROTT MPARROTT@NONPAREILONLINE.COM
Never mind his 50-year Real Estate career, his six grandchildren or his actual age (79), Harry Crowl Jr. sounds like a man in his 20s. Oh sure, he speaks with an air of maturity that suits someone in his 70s, but his preeminent quality is best described as a youthful outlook, an enthusiasm for the future. “More optimism and compassion means a better world,” Crowl said. He’s modest, too. “I don’t like the recognition,” Crowl confessed in a phone interview, though he immediately noted that he’s almost old enough to qualify for The Daily Nonpareil’s hypothetical 8 Over 80. His friendly demeanor and humble attitude befit Crowl’s nickname – “Bud” – which has followed him most of his life. “The name was pegged by my two older sisters,” Crowl said. And it stuck. Born in Council Bluffs to Minnie and Harry Crowl Sr., Bud has spent all but six years of his life here. He graduated from Abraham Lincoln High School in 1951, where he played basketball and participated in other sports. His basketball career continued at Grinnell College, located an hour east of Des Moines. His younger brother by two years –Dick – followed in his footsteps. “We’ve been close since day one,” Bud said. The pair were business partners for half a century. Bud and Dick joined their father’s Real Estate firm – the Harry C. Crowl Company – in 1957, when Dick graduated from Grinnell and Bud finished his stint in the United States Air Force. Bud earned a degree in economics and business from Grinnell in
1955 before joining the Air Force through the ROTC program at Grinnell. “It was a natural decision to join the family business,” Bud said. The Crowl boys retired together in 2007. Their clients made it worth their while. “It’s all about service and helping (homeowners) make one of the biggest purchases they’ll ever make in their life,” Bud told The Nonpareil in 2007. A piece of the Crowl name is still linked to the Real Estate business in town. Bud’s daughter, Amy CrowlKinney and her husband, Kurt Kinney, run Crowl Property Management out of the same building Bud and Dick called home for 50 years. Bud has three children in all: daughter Kathy, who lives in Arkansas, and son Matthew, an attorney in Chicago. “And six grandchildren,” Bud exclaimed. “They’re all brilliant and good-looking, but all of the credit goes to Anne.” Bud met Anne at Grinnell. They married in September 1957. Retirement hasn’t stopped the Crowls from helping others. In fact, it’s difficult to name an organization or committee in Council Bluffs Bud hasn’t been a member of, but among the groups: Children’s Square, YMCA, the former
402-934-2284
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Harry C. “Bud” Crowl Jr. and his wife, Anne, were honored with a Jason Award in 2010 for “their caring, contribution and commitment” to Children’s Square and its mission. Sertoma Club, Council Bluffs Sister Cities, Pride Week, Abraham Lincoln High School Hall of Fame committee, Habitat for Humanity, Southwest Iowa Association of Realtors and New Horizons Presbyterian Church. In Leota McManus’ nomination letter, she wrote, Bud “belongs to many organizations and is willing to participate in whatever is needed.” “You don’t become involved in something unless you care about it,” Bud said. Bud and Anne were honored with a Jason Award in 2010 for “their caring, contribution and commitment” to Children’s Square and its mission. She was president of the board in 1983 and was
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later employed as director of volunteers and alumni. Bud’s “need to reach out and help
others” led him to become a mentor through the Special Friends program. The YMCA has its own special place in Bud’s heart. He was instrumental in bringing the Y to its current location, 7 S. Fourth St. He still frequents the Y to workout and visit friends. “I love physical fitness. Plus, it’s a great place to meet people and socialize,” Bud clarified. When he’s not at the Y or completing various committee works, you can find Bud on a bicycle – he’s participated in RAGBRAI for 20some years – or shooting hoops with his grandson. He played softball with his church for 14 years. Bud’s also an avid A.L. fan, often seen on the sidelines cheering for Dick Crowl’s grandchildren. While Council Bluffs will always be home, the Crowls are infected with a bit of wan-
derlust. “Our motto is ‘Have grandchildren, will travel,’” Bud said. In the Air Force, he was stationed in Okinawa, Japan. While there, he traveled to China, Thailand, India and the Philippines. The Crowls spend winters in Naples, Fla., where Anne prefers the weather. “Give me 6 inches of snow in Council Bluffs, I’m happy,” Bud added. And, of course, they visit their children and grandchildren in Arkansas and Chicago, a balancing act Bud learned from his father, who made it his mission to support his family while holding down the business. “Dick and I never played basketball together until my senior year at Grinnell. My dad came to every single game,” said a proud son. As for the future, Bud has one important goal: To see all of his grandkids graduate.
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Giving back to community important for Bluffs native CHAD NATION CNATION@NONPAREILONLINE.COM
Robert W. Green has devoted his life to the service of his community. He would never tell you that, but it’s true. In one way or another – for the last 60 years – Green has been involved in the betterment of his hometown. A 1948 graduate of Abraham Lincoln High School, Green was drafted into the U.S. Army and served his country from 1951-53 during the Korean War. After coming home, he married his wife of more than 57 years, Bonnie, and the two raised a family in Council Bluffs. He spent time working for Pete’s Feed Co. in Council Bluffs before moving to Shasta Beverage in Omaha, where he worked as the office manager for a number of years. Green also owned a vending company until 1996. Throughout raising a family – the Greens have three children, two daughters and a son – and building a career, Green always found time to help others. For nearly 60 years, Green has been a member of the American Legion Post #2. He is a past commander and still serves as the chaplain in the Honor Guard. His duties as chaplain include reading a brief prayer before veterans’ funerals and presenting their families with flags. It’s a position he has held for the last 10 years. “It’s an honor to do it, really,” he said. “It’s an honor to show the family the respect that every veteran deserves.” While every service member can receive a military funeral, Green said he would like to see the American Legion allow all service members into their ranks, not just war veterans. Congress is lobbied every year
to change the rule, but Green said it is unlikely to happen. “I think everyone who put on a uniform and served their country should be a member, whether you fought or not,” he said. “I feel strongly about the American Legion, but it is a dishonor that all veterans are not allowed to be in the legion.” Green also became a Mason in 1969. He is the two time past master of the Bluff City Masonic Lodge #71, and has long been active, or leading, the Masons’ largest local fundraiser, the pancake feed, to raise money for needy local residents around Christmas. He became involved with the Masons because his uncle was a past master and his father a member. “The motto of the Masons is, ‘It makes good men better,’” he said. “It is an organization that does a lot of good for the community.” Whether it is giving Christmas baskets to those in need, a scholarship to a deserving student or a donation to a worthwhile project, Green said the Masons have always stepped forward. And, the “fun part” of Masonry, the Shriners, also helps in a number of ways. You may have seen Green this month standing outside a grocery store raising money for the Shriner’s Hospital. Green said the Masons continue to draw good numbers at a time when service clubs are having a hard time recruiting people. “There has been a resurgence the last several years; we seem to be getting stronger,” he said, but the American Legion numbers continue to wane. Green said young soldiers coming home don’t necessarily want to join the Legion. “They are serving in a much different war than we served in. We always knew our enemy and the injuries they are get-
Staff photo/Erin Duerr
At 81 years old, Robert W. Green is the chaplain of the American Legion Post #2 Honor Guard. Green served in the U.S. Army from 1951-53 during the Korean War. As the chaplain, Green is responsible for presenting a folded flag to the family during burial services for veterans. ting now are so much worse,” he said. “I don’t blame them for not wanting to sit around with a bunch of white-haired fools.” But a new group of American Legion Riders continues to grow, Green added. “They are quite active in our club. Maybe they will be the salvation of the Legion,” he said. “It is an organization that I am very proud of.” Asked why he thinks that so many fewer people are committing their time to service clubs, Green said people have turned their attention elsewhere. “The biggest excuse is they don’t have time. If you want to
you’ll find the time,” he said. “It’s about giving back; I just think these things are important.”
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years.” Grote described himself as a professional volunteer and there is no reason why others his age can’t do the same. “Anybody who needs to get out. They need to find something to do. There is always something to do.” He urged others to contact the United Way of the Midlands for volunteer opportunities.
Busy Grote a proud professional volunteer TIM ROHWER TROHWER@NONPAREILONLINE.COM
One might say Stan Grote, 81, is busier now than ever. That’s saying a lot since he was active on the local political scene for years. Nevertheless, his usual daily schedule is still full today serving his community, and thinks others his age should do the same. “I want to emphasize there are so many things to do,” Grote said. For two years now, Grote has participated in a program called Teammates, a school mentoring program founded by former Nebraska football coach Tom Osborne and his wife, Nancy, in 1991 in an effort to provide support and encouragement to school-aged youth. The program has grown to where it is now, pairing mentors and children in Iowa schools as well as Nebraska schools. The goal is to see youth graduate from high school and pursue post-secondary education. Grote visits with a Woodrow Wilson Junior High School student once a week to simply talk about a wide range of issues, or as he put it, “just being a friend.” “I’m the grandfather he never had,” Grote said. That program needs more volunteers, he added. “Just being a friend, everyone can do that.” Grote’s other community service has included Children’s Square USA, The Center and the Community Health Center for which he’s been its board president overseeing a brand new building to better serve the public. “That new building is on budget and on schedule, maybe a little bit ahead of schedule, and we’ll be more
visible.” It is an important facility, Grote noted. “We provide quality care regardless of their ability to pay and over 50 percent of our clients have no insurance,” he said. “The health center is an unknown secret.” Grote also keeps busy by being active in his church, First Congregational Church, plus he’s a member of the Noon Rotary Club. One will usually see him at Legislative Coffees, whenever the Legislature is in session, as well as at major Republican Party events. Serving the community, and the country, has always been a priority for Grote, as evidenced by his years in government service, including the Council Bluffs City Council and the Pottawattamie County Board of Supervisors. Grote served eight years, or two terms, as a supervisor after being a council member for four years. “I left the county board the day I turned 70.” There were some serious issues he and others on those governing bodies had to deal with, he recalled. Concerning the City Council, on which he served from 1988 to 1992, Grote said, “We discovered we had a $53 million sewer problem. That was a lot of money for Council Bluffs. There was no way we had $53 million.” The problem was that the city had a combined sanitary and storm sewer system, which caused water to backup during major storms. “Now, it is all done,” Grote said. “We did a little piece here and there over time to get it done.” Later on, casino gaming was approved. “That brought in a lot of
of Council Bluffs
For two years now, Stan Grote, 81, visits with a Woodrow Wilson Junior High School student once a week as a mentor in the Teammates program. Grote maintains a full daily schedule serving his community and thinks others his age should do the same. “I want to emphasize there are so many things to do,” Grote said. Staff photo/Erin Duerr
jobs, a lot of improvements like our new Public Library,” Grote said. “Casinos put a lot of money in this town.” Grote decided not to seek a second council term and was instead elected to the county board. A major accomplishment during his service there was the citizen approval and construction of a new jail that cost $20 million. “I remember a large number of people voted for it,” Grote said. Having served on both the council and the county board, he said, “There’s always tension because of the two different clientele they serve. It is just the nature of the beast. It’s not unusual.” Prior to his political career, Grote served 30 years in the U.S. Army, retiring as a colonel. Early on, he recalled, his unit was originally assigned to South Korea during that country’s conflict with North Korea in the 1950s, but he ended up in Japan. “I stayed in Japan for 18
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Hensley always on the go MIKE BROWNLEE MBROWNLEE@NONPAREILONLINE.COM
Marian Hensley doesn’t stay still very long. The list of organizations she volunteers her time to is long and varied: Cee Bee Ambassadors, Chanticleer Theater, Risen Son Christian Village, the Gambler Half-Marathon and the St. Patrick’s Catholic church Alter Society. In her free time, she takes classes and plays cards – “hand and foot” and 10-point pitch are her favorites – at The Center. Oh, and she still works parttime at the Hy-Vee supermarket on Madison Avenue. “I don’t like to sit around,” Hensley said during a short break at Hy-Vee. “I like to stay busy, be involved and help where needed.” The 77-year-old said she loves to get out in the community. With the ambassadors, she attends a number of grand openings, ground breakings and ribbon cuttings. “We get to see and tour the new businesses in town, do a lot of fun things,” she said. “They’re a great group.” She’s an usher at Chanticleer Community Theater and helmed a water station during the Gambler. At St. Patrick’s, she helps during dinners, rummage sales and more. At Risen Son, she does “odds and ends.” “They always have something going on, I help out,” Hensley said. Hensley grew up in Danbury, in Woodbury County, and graduated from Danbury Catholic. She moved to Omaha, enrolled at a business college and worked in an office after graduation. After a few years in Omaha she moved to Council Bluffs, and after a few years in an office she stayed home to raise her children – Mike, Pat, Jim and Jon. She has seven grandchildren and a great-grandchild due this summer. “I like to spend time with my family and friends. My grandchildren are just delightful and
interesting, as most grandchildren are,” she said. During free moments, “I really enjoy traveling whenever I get a chance.” “I also enjoy walking and riding my bicycle on our lovely trails here in town,” Hensley said. Thirty-three years ago she began work at Hy-Vee as a checkout attendant, a position she still holds today. She usually works the express lane, a nice metaphor for a woman always doing something. “I work with a great group of people. I like my hours, I enjoy what I do,” she said. “Every customer is someone special, many have become my friend over the years. A lot of them come through the express lane every day, I look forward to seeing them.” Hensley said she enjoys watching the seasons change within the store, from Christmas to Easter, graduation and weddings to Halloween. She began her Hy-Vee career at the now-closed North 16th Street store and for a brief time her son Pat was manager of the store. “That was cool,” Marian said. After bouncing around the state in various positions, Pat’s back in Council Bluffs with HyVee management. At Hy-Vee, she’s earned fulltime Employee of the Year honors twice and that same award for part-timer in 2008. Coworkers vote on the awards. “It’s an honor,” Hensley said. Mitch Streit, director of the Hy-Vee on Madison Avenue, gushed when discussing his septuagenarian employee. “She’s just a unique, special person,” he said. “Anyone that knows Marian would agree with that.” Streit said whenever he’s out in the community at various events he spots Hensley. “I’ll go to events around town, Marian’s always there,” he said. Streit nominated his
of Council Bluffs
Staff photo/Erin Duerr
Marian Hensley began work at Hy-Vee as a checkout attendant 33 years ago, a position she still holds today. The list of organizations she volunteers her time to is long and varied. coworker for 7 Over 70 honors and had to talk Hensley into the idea. “I told Mitch I don’t do that much,” Hensley said. “He said, ‘Yes, you do.’” Hensley’s a busy woman who does much for the Council Bluffs community. But she’s humble. Sipping on a coffee in the Hy-Vee dining area, she said, “I hope this is a small article, not a whole page.” “Honestly, I thought this would be it,” she said, referring to a print-out of Streit’s email. During the interview a HyVee regular – and fellow 7 Over 70 honoree – Ron Mahoney stopped by to say, “Hello.” “You’ve got the best,” Mahoney said about Hensley. “She’s just a great woman.”
Store Director Mitch Streit, Marian Hensley, Hy-Vee Assistant Vice President (and proud son) Pat Hensley
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Hoff an active volunteer, cyclist, grandpa TIM JOHNSON TJOHNSON@NONPAREILONLINE.COM
Ted Hoff is not your typical septuagenarian. Hoff, 71, is active as a volunteer, cyclist and grandfather. He is on the fundraising committee for a bust of Thomas Jefferson for the local high school that bears the president’s name. He is a member of the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Midlands Board, Boys & Girls Clubs of Council Bluffs Board-H.H. “Red” and Ruth H. Nelson Unit on the Charles E. Lakin Human Services Campus, Boys & Girls Clubs Nebraska-Iowa Alliance, General Dodge Foundation Board and Historical Society of Pottawattamie County Board. “I like to keep busy,” he said. “I feel Council Bluffs was so good to me during my 30 years I was in practice here, and I felt I really owed something to the community.” Hoff was impressed with Boys & Girls Clubs from the time he heard about its mission. “It just kind of fell into what I wanted to accomplish with the community,” he said. “I think the part that really attracted me to the Boys & Girls Clubs was not just that they were providing leadership to the children but the fact they actually have an education program set up to help the students with their academic work. They spend a lot of time with those students so they can academically do better in school. “In the past couple years, I’ve also dabbled in politics a little bit,” he said. “I’ve made some phone calls and done some things just to help out. I’ve enjoyed that, too.” Hoff is a member of the Nishnabotna Bike Club and participates in several long-distance rides each year. “We do about four or five rides throughout the year around the country,” he said. In April, they go on the Nachez Trace from Nashville to Mississippi – a 550-mile jaunt. “It’ll take us about 10 to 14 days to do that,” he said. “I’ve done (the Bicycle Ride Across Nebraska) 10 times, and I’ll be going on that again. That’s the one thing that keeps me in good health – I condition and train so I can go on bike rides in the area.” Hoff grew up in Council Bluffs and graduated from Thomas Jefferson in 1958, he said. “I was in Council Bluffs all my life, except my education and my military time,” he said. He earned a bachelor’s degree in pre-med and chemistry at the University of Omaha (now University of Nebraska at Omaha) and attended medical school at the University of Nebraska Medical Center. He completed a one-year internship at Clarkson Hospital. “During med school, I’d always had an interest in the eye and eye surgery, and I used to go down … to the eye clinic and observe,” Hoff said. He served in the Air Force for six years after
medical school and was a flight surgeon for two years and in ophthalmology for three years. He completed Harvard Basic Sciences in Ophthalmology at Colby College in 1970 and held a residency in ophthalmology at Wilford Hall Hospital from 1969-1972. He returned to his hometown after his discharge from the Air Force to set up his practice. Hoff worked as a general ophthalmologist and performed eye surgery, cataract surgery, muscle surgery and treated disorders of the eye such as glaucoma and medical disorders of the eye, he said. He operated at both Council Bluffs hospitals and was president of the Alegent Health Mercy Hospital staff for two years. He also served on the Alegent Health Board of Directors. He was in private practice from 1973 to 2000. In 1995, Southwest Iowa EyeCare merged with Eye Physicians of Omaha to form Midwest Eye Care. He retired in 2003. Hoff received the Distinguished Service Citation from Rotary in 2010, was inducted into the Thomas Jefferson Hall of Fame in 2009 and won the Heritage Award for Medicine in 2008. He also received the Bridge Life Master Award in 2005 and Chanticleer President’s Award in 2000. He served as chairman of a Centennial Rotary Club matching grant program for the Dominican Republic and chairman of the Youth Exchange Counselor program. The club also helped fix up an orphanage, he said. Hoff was on the Chanticleer Community Theater Board for seven years and president for two years. He was the second president of the board of directors for Boys & Girls Clubs of Council Bluffs, succeeding Dick Miller. As a member of both the Chanticleer and Boys & Girls Clubs boards, he arranged for club supporters to buy out the house for one performance of “Annie” at the Chanticleer and sell tickets to raise money for the club. He was the first president of the Arts Center at Iowa Western Community College and board member for three years. He was president of the Lewis Central Booster Club in 1983 and chairman of the first Las Vegas Night Booster Club fundraiser in 1984. There’s a reason Hoff was so involved in the arts. “When I went through college, it seemed like I spent so much time with science … I really didn’t have time to enjoy the arts,” he said. “Those were things I kind of developed and cultivated after I got out of college.” He was a member of the Iowa Afterschool Alliance Board, Heartland Family Service Southwest Iowa Advisory Board and TeamMate Mentoring Program. He was a Rotary Leadership Institute graduate in March 2009, co-chairman of the VNA Bike and Walk fundraiser in 2006-07, honorary chairman of the Visiting
Staff photo/Jon Leu
Ted Hoff, 71, is active as a volunteer, cyclist and grandfather. “I like to keep busy,” he said. “I feel Council Bluffs was so good to me during my 30 years I was in practice here, and I felt I really owed something to the community.” Nurse Association Red Letter Day in 2007 and member of the Omaha Bridge Club Board from 2002-04. Hoff and his wife, Polly, have two daughters –
of Council Bluffs
one in Council Bluffs and one in Des Moines – and five grandchildren. “We spend a lot of time on our grandchildren and grandchildren’s activities,” he said.
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At the Rose, you may choose how engaged you want to be, knowing you are part of an active, supportive community that brings more fun into your life through new friends, entertainment, learning, creativity, exercise, healthy lifestyle practices and a new outlook on life. Like NonpareilOnline.com on Facebook
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Mahoney active in the community JON LEU JLEU@NONPAREILONLINE.COM
At 73 and after 55 years in the construction business in Council Bluffs, Ron Mahoney is enjoying a busy and beneficial semi-retirement. “I believe that if you enjoy your work, you should continue doing what you love,” Mahoney said, “just not in situations as stressful as in the past. If you don’t continue working at your trade, you can lose confidence and may become hesitant to tackle a difficult project.” Difficult projects were the hallmark of the latter years of Mahoney’s work in the construction trade. Though now semi-retired, he continues to tackle projects that make use of – indeed, highlight – his considerable skills as a carpenter and cabinet maker. A native of Council Bluffs, Mahoney graduated from Abraham Lincoln High School in
1957 and went to work a week later for Leonard Ranch Construction as an apprentice carpenter, drawing plans and taking part in the construction of many of the high-end homes being built in Council Bluffs at that time. He remained with Ranch Construction for the next 15 years. In 1969, Mahoney met Suzanne, the woman who was to become his wife, and the couple married in 1971. In 1972, the couple decided to begin their own business, forming Ronald R. Mahoney Construction. It was a business and marriage partnership that endured and grew. “When I started the business, a good friend of mine, Charles Jacobs, gave me the best advice ever: ‘Surround yourself with competent people, and things will work out.’ I have done that all my many years in business. We (my subs
Staff photo/Jon Leu
Ron Mahoney, 73, encourages others to stay active in the community after retirement. and I) compliment each other,” he said. “We are still working with some of the same subcontractors after all these years in business. The advice was good and 100 percent true. “But my best partner is still Suzanne, who works with me
every day,” Mahoney said. “She has been helpful and supportive over the many years of our marriage.” Mahoney remodeled homes, honed his skills as a true craftsman building cabinets and bookcases and ventured into commercial remodeling. By 1977, the company had grown to the point that he was able to oversee construction of his almost 3,000-square-foot shop that he still works out of today. Those who know Mahoney point to him as an individual who took personal pride in giving a day’s work for a day’s pay and offering the best prices possible for materials. As the construction business grew and prospered, the couple grew increasingly active in the community. Mahoney said one of the highlights of his life came in the 1990s when Tom Whitson asked him and Suzanne to become investors in Peoples National Bank, an invitation for which he remains grateful. As a couple, Mahoney and
his wife have been at the front of the line when funding was needed for a host of community projects. The couple donated generously to the Bayliss Park renovation project and to the Bayliss Park memorial. They have also been generous in their support for the New Horizon Presbyterian Church. “We are very pleased with the way Council Bluffs has grown and the player it has become in the metropolitan area,” he said. Mahoney has always felt it was important to give back to the community in which you live and which supports you. To that end, he has been active in the Elks Club, Council Bluffs Homebuilders, the Council Bluffs Business Association, and has served on church boards, the IWCC Foundation Board, the Council Bluffs Building Board of Appeals and others. Iowa Western Community College has benefited both from his talents as a craftsman and
from his generosity. “We are very proud of Iowa Western Community College,” Mahoney said. “It is truly an asset to Council Bluffs and all of southwest Iowa.” That pride was manifested when the IWCC women’s volleyball team was crowned national champions. Mahoney purchased a championship ring for each of the team members. When the IWCC men’s baseball team duplicated that feat by winning a national championship, Mahoney again purchased championship rings for the team members. One of those who nominated Mahoney for inclusion in this year’s 7 Over 70 edition commented, “I have heard Ron say, ‘Volunteer work is like paying dues for living in the community. Use it or lose it. When we are blessed to be able to retire or be of retirement age and have good health, we should continue to give back and assist others.’”
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Pettepier has always stayed busy DENNIS FRIEND DFRIEND@NONPAREILONLINE.COM
Bob Pettepier may be retired, but he remains active, thank you very much. The 75-year-old retired teacher and his 73-year-old wife, Eva, live in a comfortable ranch house in a rural area not far from the Loess Hills Scenic Byway. It’s a little different from the home they had not long after they married. The native Missourians met in St. Joseph while Bob was at junior college and Eva was in nursing school. “We met, married and moved to Leavenworth, Kansas,” Bob said. “We were near the prisons, and we had at least two neighbors who worked as prison guards.” Bob was a teacher. After eight years, he decided to take a job in Council Bluffs, where the pay and benefits were better. “In Kansas, they had almost no retirement system and the pay was not so great. I almost doubled my salary,” he recalled. “I taught math for 36 years, all at Abraham Lincoln High School,” he said, retiring in 1998. “I liked teaching math, and I enjoyed the kids,” said Bob. “It was always neat. You could be teaching and you’d see their eyes light up because they understood.” Bob never regretted the move to Council Bluffs, and his wife said, “Council Bluffs has always felt like home.” They have four children: Jeffrey, 52; Beth, 51; Douglas, 49, and Todd, “45 this month.” Doug met his spouse at the University of Iowa, but the others met their spouses in Council Bluffs. Jeffrey married Kelly, Beth married David Porter, Doug married Maryellen and Todd married Debora. During his teaching years, Bob stayed active. “In the early 1970s, I was president of the local education association, and I was president of the southwest unit of the Iowa State Education Association,” he said. “In the late ’70s, I became Abraham Lincoln High School’s first softball coach. I started the girls’ softball team, and I told everyone at the time I was the best softball coach the team ever had,” Bob said. He held the
coaching position from 1977 until 1989. He also started a bowling team for students at Abraham Lincoln, Thomas Jefferson and St. Albert high schools. “The boys team won the state bowling tournament in 1975,” he said. Eva worked full time at Jennie Edmundson Hospital in 1969 and 1970, then went to work for the Visiting Nurses Association for 28 years. In retirement, the couple volunteers with the American Cancer Society. “Both my father and grandfather had cancer,” Bob said. He, too, was diagnosed with cancer, one of the rare males to be diagnosed with breast cancer. His reaction at the time was simply, “No, it can’t be. I discovered the lump, the doctors did a biopsy and they did a mastectomy,” he said. Eva said, “I was an RN, and I was around quite a few people with cancer, but it’s never personal until it hits home.” “It has been nine years since my last treatment. I’m pretty happy,” he said They also drive for Meals on Wheels and will take people to grocery stores. They both were on the board of trustees for Epworth United Methodist Church and continue to do volunteer work for the church as well. “We stay active and involved with the church. The church is important to us,” Bob said. “I’ve been involved in almost every committee at that church and we’ve been involved since 1968. We’ve met a lot of wonderful people.” The Pettepiers like to travel “wherever the wind blows,” Bob said. They have 13 grandkids, and “We took the whole family to Wisconsin Dells for a week. That’s 21 people. We have a time share,” he said. Family time has been the best gift retirement could have given them. “All the cousins get to know each other. They run in age from 6 to 25 years old,” he said. Now, the grandkids are involved in sports, so it’s likely they’ll stay active.
Staff photo/Erin Duerr
Bob Pettepier, a 75-year-old retired teacher, stays active with his church, Meals on Wheels and traveling. He and his wife, Eva, have four children and 13 grandchildren.
Congratulations
Bobb Pettepier!
Thankk you u forr yourr continuedd contributions too thee Church h & Community!
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