Robert Richard Thran, age 94 of Nashua, IA, died Thursday, February 15, 2024, at Waverly Health Center in Waverly.
Bob was born in Readlyn, Iowa, September 20, 1929, the son of Oscar and Loueen Diekmann Thran. He attended St. Paul’s Lutheran Parochial School and graduated from Readlyn High School in 1947. He attended Iowa State Teachers College 1947–1948, and The University Of Iowa 1948–1951.
Bob was drafted into the United States Army September 10, 1951, and served with the Forty-Fifth Infantry Division in Korea during the Korean War. He was discharged in May of 1953. Bob married Gerda Franken of Allison on May 23,1954. They were divorced in 1986 but remained friends. He worked for Philip Morris, Lutheran Mutual, and Rath Packing Company.
Bob attended Wartburg College 1958–1959, graduating in May 1959 with a degree in Education. He taught German and later became Guidance Counselor at Williamsburg High School.
He was Personnel Director at Amana Refrigeration 1965–69 and earned a master’s degree in psychology from the University of Montana 1971.
Bob returned to counseling at Valley of Elgin and Tri-County of Thornburg, serving as Guidance Counselor at Nashua High School from 1973 and retiring in 1991.
Bob delivered Winnebago Motorhomes throughout North America from 1995–2016. In later years, Bob wrote about the history of Readlyn for The Readlyn Chronicle.
Bob enjoyed traveling to Germany to visit friends and relatives, and speaking to German students in English classes about life in America. Also, visiting in German with older Germans, especially those who survived World War II.
Bob was an enthusiastic researcher of the history of Readlyn and was sometimes referred to as ‘The Readlyn Historian.’
As a University of Iowa alumnus, Bob was a dedicated Iowa Hawkeye fan for over 80 years, having seen Nile Kinnick play in 1938 when he was nine years old.
Robert Thran is survived by a son, Eric, of Des Moines, a son, Tony, of Nashua, one granddaughter, Jessica Pfitzer, Marquette, Michigan, two great grandchildren, Julia and Josiah, three nephews, Mark, David, Mike & Jennifer Tomson, Fairfield, California.
He was preceded in death by his parents, a brother, Richard, a sister, Carol, and a nephew, Jon Tomson.
All obituary information has been taken from the funeral home, newspaper or other online resource
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