Max Ulmer

Max LaVerne Ulmer was born August 20, 1928, on a farm near Woodbine, Iowa, to Albert and Harriet Lueck Ulmer. He died Monday, April 26, 2010, at his home in Arion, Iowa, at the age of eighty-one.
Max attended country school near his home and helped on the family farm. He also helped on various farms throughout the area. He entered the United States Army on January 2, 1951, serving as a watchman with Company I of the 19th infantry regiment during the Korean Conflict. He received his honorable discharge on October 2, 1952, as a CPT(T), receiving medals including Combat Infantrymans Medal, Korean Service Medal, United Nations Service Medal and Army of Occupation Medal. After receiving his discharge he went to Homestead, Florida, where he was a truck farmer until returning to Denison in 1961 where in April of that year he started working at IBP.
On May 10, 1964, Max was united in marriage to Shirley Wingrove. The couple made their home in Arion. He retired from IBP in 1993, after thirty-two years. From 1965 until 2004, he started raising Golden Retrievers. He loved the outdoors and decided to raise tomatoes as a hobby. He raised them for his family and sold the rest.
He enjoyed gardening, tinkering on lawn mowers, going to garage sales and spending Saturdays at the sale barn in Denison. In his leisure time he loved playing cards at McDonalds and Ettlemens with his friends, especially during the winter tournaments. He was an organizer and collected donations for the Arion Buffalo Days.
Max was preceded in death by his parents; six brothers: Ralph, Rolland, Kenneth, Lyle Dean, Rex and Gene; and three sisters: Irma, Rachel and Mary Jane. Survivors include his wife, Shirley of Arion; two daughters, Melinda Curnyn and her husband, Pat of Kansas City, Missouri; Susan Pottebaum of Dow City; one son, Steve Ulmer and his wife, Lisa of Arion; five granddaughters: Shayna, Michaela and Mariah Curnyn, all of Kansas City, Missouri; Kelsey Brasel and her husband, Clark of Tuscaloosa, Alabama; and Kortney Test and her husband, Lance of Omaha, Nebraska; one great-granddaughter, Lydia of Kansas City, Missouri; five sisters: Doris Goeser of Council Bluffs; Betty Kessel of Bedford; Margie Melby of Soldier; Shirley Hare of Warrensburg, Missouri; and Linda Ulmer of Council Bluffs; many other relatives and friends.