Edward H. Kelsmark passed away peacefully at the age of 98 in his home on June 23, 2021.
He was born December 12, 1922 in Racine, Wisconsin to Carl and Evelyn (Williams) Kelsmark.
Dad enlisted in the Army in 1942 and served as an artillery mechanic with the 518th Heavy Maintenance Ordnance Company Field Artillery in the European Theater of Operations. His Company landed in Normandy 3 weeks after D-Day, and supported General Patton’s armor across France and Belgium, during Battle of the Bulge.
While working as a Supervisor for J.I. Case Machine Company in Racine, he met our mother, LaVerne (Petersen). They were married in 1947 and were blessed with 7 children over the course of their 68 years of marriage.
He graduated from Texas Chiropractic College, and practiced chiropractic care in the 1950’s in Sabinal, Eagle Pass, Rochester NY, and briefly in San Antonio. Dad always provided best for his growing family which led him to completely different career paths in the 1960’s employed with Mason & Hangar at Medina Base, and eventually retiring after 26 years from Civil Service with the Internal Revenue Service.
Dad enjoyed travelling, league bowling, and gardening. The family enjoyed the fruits of his labor from yearly vegetable gardens. After he retired, he and Mom enjoyed a trip to France, Italy, Japan, and Hawaii.
They especially enjoyed their “recreational” fun as he would call it when frequenting the casinos making his last trip in December.
As a proud WWII Veteran, Dad was a…
