Glen H. Roben

Glen Roben
Appleton, WI
(formerly of Rockwell, IA)

Died on April 24, 2007 in Appleton, Wisconsin. He was born on September 2, 1917 to Gerhardt and Katrina (Kate) Roben on their family farm near Sheffield, Iowa. He studied in the neighborhood rural school and graduated from Rockwell High School in 1935. He attended Mason City Junior College where he met Mabelle Kotz of rural Mason City. They married on April 5, 1941 in Rockwell. The couple farmed the Roben family farm until their retirement in 1990 after which they moved to Rockwell.
Glen was a top salesman and District Manager for the Crows Seed Corn Company of Milford, Illinois for 8 years. He was always an active leader in his community and served on the Rockwell-Swaledale School Board, St. Peter’s Lutheran Church Board, Rockwell Creamery Association Board, Rockwell Nursing Home Board, North Iowa Health Planning Commission and held both local and state district office with Lions Club International. He was a founding member of Rockwell Lions Club and was instrumental in fund raising and/or leading programs that ushered in Linn Grove Park, the Rockwell Community Swimming Pool, the Linn Grove Country Club Golf Course and Rockwell-Swaledale High School’s outdoor sports complex. He co-chaired the first Rockwell Community Chicken BBQ, a tradition that continues today to raise support for the swimming pool operations. He was elected to office as a Cerro Gordo County Supervisor and served from 1968-1972. His commitment to church and community was possible because of the support and encouragement of his wife and family who helped him leave the fields and livestock to attend the many meetings this work required. Besides camping and traveling with his family, Glen was a passionate seeker of the walleye. He organized many trips to northern Minnesota in search of the “tasty ones” and took pride in his butter fried fillet recipe.
In 2003, Glen and Mabelle moved to Appleton, WI to The Heritage Independent Living complex nearer to their children. There he has enjoyed sharing his memories and “observations” with many new friends from all over the country, doing woodworking projects in the workshop and sitting on the deck above Lake Butte des Morts.
Glen was preceded in death by his parents, a brother Arthur, and his sister Ada Witte. He is survived by his wife Mabelle, children Gerald “Rob” (Sue) Roben of Bellevue, IA, Glennys (Robert) Compton of Columbia, SC, Gail (Larry) Johnson of Butte des Morts, WI, Gregory (Monica) of Oconomowoc, WI and his sister Verda Alitz of Hopewell Junction, NY. He will also be dearly missed by Donita Roben, his eleven grandchildren and three great grandchildren, brother and sisters-in-law, nieces, nephews and many friends.

Memorial services will be held in Rockwell, Iowa on Saturday, April 28 at 10:30 am at St. Peter’s Lutheran Church with visitation starting at 9:30. A memorial service will also be held at the Heritage Retirement Community at 10:00 A.M. on Wednesday, May 2, 2007. The family would like to thank the many wonderful employees and volunteers at ThedaCare at Home, the Heritage and Cherry Meadows.