Ralph H. Arndt

Ralph H. Arndt, a gentle man - an exciting life! Ralph began a nine year hitch in the U. S. Navy at age eighteen. A product of the Great Lakes Naval Training School, he served on many different kinds of ships. Though never in combat, he found himself in many dangerous situations. At one point the was on a destroyer during a heavy storm. As an electrician he had to climb the mast to the bird’s nest to make repairs. An officer was following him up the mast. Ralph said, “Get down from here, it doesn’t make sense for both of us to get killed.” Several times because of his knowledge and paractical common sense, he found himself giving officers orders.Also he served on a fuel tanker. Here three strips of containers carried three different types of flammable fuel including airplane fuel. There were flash fires. Ralph said that by the time they had the third fire, every man on the ship was drinking. He served on a submarine-rescue ship. On one of the ships he was the head of four crews: the electrician’s crew, the maintenance crew, the carpenter crew and the painter crew. He rose to E-6 rank, just beneath petty officer. Many times he was head of the engine room. His was a quiet voice of authority. He knew how to instruct, even teaching a course in electricity at NWTC. Once out of the navy Ralph had his own electrical business for nine years in Creston, Iowa. After this he worked for thirty years in electrical construction in Milwaukee. He said insurance companies figured a certain number of fatalities into their premiums for construction of tall buildings. At one time he was working on a twelve story building, standing on a platform consisting of a plank held up by a rope at each end. His helper was shaking so hard he shook the platform. Ralph said, “Go inside before you get us both killed. You can hand me tools through the window.” In his thirty years in Milwaukee Ralph worked for such firms as Reliance, Pieper, Kirchner and Patrick Cudahy. Working in government buildings, he came to know many important people including senator Kohl . Ralph was born on October 23, 1928 to Albert and Hulda Arndt. In the depths of the depression this family of 4 boys and 4 girls ran their own business. While their father worked 6 ten-hour days per week in a factory, the kids milked four cows and sold raw bottled milk to the people of Keenan in Price County, Wisconsin. Ralph was twice widowed. In 1956 he married Rose Cervino of Brooklyn, New York. When she developed cancer he took care of her at home until she died.. Next he married Marion Schmoldt of Milwaukee, Wisconsin..For three years as she was a patient in Iola Assisted Living he came in and fed her twice a day until her death. In 2011 Ralph married Irma Timmons of Shawano. Though he had no children of his own, he helped many young people obtain their education through financial gifts.His special friend was young Sadie of Iola's Crystal Cafe. He is survived by his wife, Irma, two sisters, Dorothy Klink of Sun Prairie, Shirley (Tony) Stratil of New London, one brother, Roy Arndt (Esther) of Madison. People close to Ralph: David Stratil (nephew), Tom Timmons (step-son), Eileen Ciraletta, niece, Lisa (Mark) Peterson, step-granddaughter, Christina, step- great granddaughter, Lizzie of Lizzies' restaurant, Shawano. Graveside Services will be held at Union Cemetery, Symco, Wisconsin, at 10:00 AM on Saturday, July 6th, with Reverend Dale Eggert officiating. In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts in memory of Ralph shall be directed to: The Gideons International, P.O. Box 140800, Nashville, TN 37214-0800. Voie Funeral Home 120 S. Main St Iola, WI. 54945 715-445-2560