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Contact Info
Home Town Cleghorn, Iowa
Last Address Omaha, Nebraska
Date of Passing May 30, 2014
Location of Interment Prospect Hill Cemetery - Norfolk, Nebraska
Wall/Plot Coordinates Plot: Section C
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Roger Ihle was born in Cleghorn, Iowa on October 10, 1918 to Charles William Ihle Sr. M.D. and Lenora Isabelle (Oyler) Ihle.
Roger grew up in Cleghorn, Iowa, the youngest of 5 children: Muriel, Charles, Norma, Bernadine, and Roger.
He graduated from Cleghorn High School, where he was involved in athletics, football, basketball, and track.
After high school Roger attended Iowa State University obtaining a degree in Electrical Engineering.
After college, he moved to St. Louis where he was employed as a Distribution Engineer with Union Electric Company.
His military experience began when he was drafted into the Army and reported for duty on Feb. 28, 1941. Starting out as a Private in an anti-tank company, he was soon transferred to Scott Air Force Base, St. Louis, MO to attend communication school and received his commission as a Second Lieutenant in the Army Air Corps.
While in communication school, Roger met his future wife Marilyn Henderson. They married in Bethesda, MD on June 8, 1945.
After communication school he was selected to attend the Electronics Training Centers at Harvard and MIT for "Top Secret" radar school. Upon completion of radar school, he was one of four selected to go to Boca Raton AFB, FL for training in what is now known as Electronic Warfare.
He flew in the first B-17 equipped for electronic reconnaissance at night only 500 feet above the ground at times to avoid detection under the direction of 15th Air Force Headquarters or later during the day flying with the 97th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron and the 16th Reconnaissance Squadron.
After completing his 25 missions he was transferred to 15th Headquarters as part of a radar countermeasures task force.
He was a decorated officer, receiving the European-African-Middle Eastern Theater Campaign Ribbon with five Bronze Stars, Air Medal with three Oak Leaf Clusters and the American Defense Service Ribbon.
He was involved in the Invasion of Sicily, Naples-Foggia, Rome-Arno, Po Valley and North Apennines campaigns during World War II.
After the war, Roger worked with the Rural Electric Association, until joining his brother-in-law in Norfolk, Nebraska at Krueger-Ihle Electric.
During that time he was called back into military service in 1951 as an Electronic Project Officer with the 77th Strategic Reconnaissance Squadron. Now a Major, he flew in B-36's and was discharged and retired in 1953 as a Lieutenant Colonel.
Roger continued at Krueger-Ihle Electric for 23 years before becoming a Hospital Engineer for Immanuel Hospital in Omaha, Nebraska, Mercy Hospital in Des Moines, Iowa, and completing his hospital engineering career at Good Samaritan Hospital in Kearney, Nebraska.
During his career as a hospital engineer, he received numerous awards for his forward thinking innovations in energy management. He was a fellow in The American Society for Hospital Engineering.
As a member of the Nebraska Society of Hospital Engineers, he served as President from 1987-1988 and received the "Hospital Engineer of the Year" Award in 1991 and also received the "Distinguished Service" Award from the Nebraska Engineers of Health Care Institutions in 1993.
After retirement, Roger and Marilyn continued to live in Kearney, Nebraska until the death of Marilyn on January 10, 1995. He moved to Omaha in November of 1997 to live with his son Christopher and his family. He remained active with rose, flower and fruit orchard gardening, traveling with family, working in his greenhouse and volunteering at the Strategic Air and Space Museum as a Docent and in restoration of aircraft,accumulating over 5000 hours of service.
On May 30, 2014 at the age of 95, Roger Langdon Ihle passed into eternity peacefully with his family at his side. The Ihle Family wishes to thank the staff at Home Instead Senior Care, Brookestone Meadows, and Alegent Lakeside Hospital for the loving care Roger received.
Roger Ihle was preceded in death by his wife, Marilyn Henderson Ihle; parents, Charles William Ihle Sr., M.D. and Lenora Isabelle (Oyler) Ihle; siblings, Muriel Anna Ihle (Steeg), Charles William Ihle Jr., M.D., Norma Isabelle Ihle (Krueger), Bernadine Ulaine Ihle (Hilfiker); infant daughter, Elizabeth; niece, Barbara Ihle, ; nephew, Roger John Krueger.
He is survived by sons, Roger Charles Ihle, D.C., and Christopher Langdon Ihle, M.D.,(Barbara); grandchildren: Aunnie Terryberry (Michael), Eric Charles Ihle (Danielle), Colby Alan Woods (Jessica), Andrew Langdon Ihle (Emmie), Christopher Charles Ihle, and Morgan Christina Ihle; great-grandson, Estes Langdon Terryberry,; nieces, Doris Steeg, Lora A Beaupre, L. Joan Wadlow, Susan Sweet, Dr. Gail Ihle, Ann H. King, Carol Dianne Howard, Dr. Mary Lenora Hilfiker,; nephew, Charles Joseph Steeg.
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