Robert Roseland

Robert “Rosie” Roseland, 89, died peacefully in his sleep on Monday, July 8, 2013 at Deerfield Retirement Community in Urbandale, Iowa. 

Rosie was born June 7, 1924, in Paulina, Iowa, to John and Floy Roseland.  His mother and father owned the Corner Drug in Clear Lake for many years.  He graduated from Clear Lake High School and went to work for 

Duesenberg Construction helping build the Alaskan Highway.  When WWII started, he enlisted and trained to be a pilot, flying B-17 bombers over the Himalayas.  Following the war, Rosie enrolled at the University of Iowa where he pledged Beta Theta Pi, completed a degree in Business and met the love of his life, Nina Larimore.  They were married for 62 years until her death in 2011.

Rosie began his career in sales, working for Ames Concrete Products and joining Cretex Companies, Inc.  In 1975, he was promoted to President and General Manager of Iowa Concrete Products, a division of Cretex, where he remained with the company until his retirement.  During his tenure at Iowa Concrete Products, he was elected President of Iowa’s Associated General Contractors (AGC) and to the Iowa Highway Department’s Hall of Fame.

Rosie was a loving father and grandfather who was an avid outdoorsman.  He was a loyal University of Iowa Hawkeye football fan who rarely missed a game!  He enjoyed spending his summers on Lake Vermillion in Northern Minnesota and winters in Palm Desert, Calif.

He is survived by his son, Craig (Cathy), of Minnesota; daughter, Anne (Mike) Thompson, of California; two grandchildren, Kate (Mathew) Wachlarowicz and Robert Z. Roseland; and a sister, Patty (Spud) Carrell, of California.  

He was preceded in death by his parents; brothers, Joe and Jack; wife, Nina; and son, Kurt.

  Memorials may be directed to Deerfield Retirement Community or the International Wolf Center.