Gerald R. Dobbe Sr., 84, a former president of the village of Rosholt, died unexpectedly Tuesday, Aug. 21, 2012, during an RV trip while traveling in Moncton, New Brunswick, Canada.
A Funeral Mass will be held at 11 a.m. Friday, Aug. 31, at St. Adalbert Catholic Church in Rosholt. Interment of ashes will be in Guardian Angel Cemetery in Stevens Point.
Visitation will be at the church from 9:30 a.m. Friday until the Mass.
Memorials in his name should be given to the American Cancer Society at www.cancer.org/Get Involved/Donate or, 903 S. 17th Ave. No. B, Wausau.
Mr. Dobbe was born March 21, 1928, in Rosholt, a son of the late Andrew P. and Bernice (Haroldson) Dobbe. He attended Rosholt High School and Luther College in Iowa.
He volunteered for the Navy from 1944 to 1947 and served in Saipan and Guam. He was again called to service under the Naval Reserves in 1950.
He was married to Catherine Firkus on Oct. 14, 1950, at St. Mary Catholic Church in Torun.
Mr. Dobbe worked at, and later owned, Dobbe Motor Sales until the late 1970s.
He was Rosholt village president for many years, a member of the American Legion Nelson/Kaminski Post, BPOE Elks 641 and St. Adalbert Catholic Church in Rosholt.
They moved to Arizona and began leading caravans of RVs through Mexico. After five years he was asked to come to New Zealand and Australia and duplicate the RV caravan trips. Three years later they returned to Arizona to start Bajer Design, a sewing/manufacturing plant. He oversaw the development and operation of new facilities throughout Mexico and Arizona for the next 12 years.
In 2001 he retired, again, this time to explore the road and Mexico on his own time. He spent winters in their home in Mazatlan, Mexico, and summers in Wisconsin.
Survivors include his wife; three sons, Gerald R. “Bob” Jr. (Laura) and Leslie (Rosemary), both of Rosholt, and Larry (Michelle) Stoddard, Wisconsin; one daughter, Louise (Tom) Trant Dobbe, Hudson; two brothers, Duane and Rick, both of Rosholt; one sister, Betty Anderson, Tigerton; and four grandchildren.
He was also preceded in death by one brother, A.P. “Booney” Jr.
