O.D. Trudo

Orville Douglas Trudo, fondly known by all as O. D., age 88, a long-time resident of Storm Lake, Iowa, passed away in his sleep on June 15, 2013 at the Maine Veteransâ€™ Home in Scarborough, Maine. O. D. was born in Waterloo, Iowa on January 17, 1925, the son of Orville Douglas Trudo and Astrid (Wilson) Trudo. After graduating from West Waterloo High School in 1943, he enlisted in the army at the age of eighteen. He served in the 44th Infantry Division, in the European theatre in 1944 through 1945, and was in combat in the Battle of the Bulge. O. D. was awarded a Purple Heart and three Bronze Stars. In 2012 the State of Maine awarded him the Silver Star Honorable Service Medal in recognition of his service to his country. He attended college through the G.I. Bill, and received a Bachelorâ€™s degree in social studies from Iowa State Teachers College (now, the University of Northern Iowa) and a Masters degree in education from the University of Iowa in 1952. On June 1, 1947 O. D. was united in marriage to Elynor Weiss in Waterloo, Iowa. They were married for fifty-two years, until Elynorâ€™s death in 1999. Early in the marriage, they moved to Storm Lake and raised two children: Pamela and Leonard. He became a member of St. Mark Lutheran Church in 1952, the year of the Churchâ€™s founding. For nearly four decades O. D. taught junior high civics and coached sports in the Storm Lake public school system, retiring in 1991. He loved teaching and attempted to instill the love of learning in his students. In his retirement years, he continued to share his joy of teaching by volunteering to teach English as a second language in Storm Lake and in Casa Grande, Arizona. O. D. was an avid golfer, Detroit Tigers fan, traveler, and teller of â€œcornyâ€ jokes. He loved to read books on the Civil War, World War II, the Supreme Court, and the Presidents. He was a humble man, and he cared deeply about civic responsibility and equal rights. His family appreciates the kindness and care extended to him by the Maine Veteransâ€™ Home staff, volunteers, and fellow residents. In his later years, they became family and gave him a home away from home. O. D. was preceded in death by his parents, Orville and â€œTrudy;â€ his wife, Elynor; his infant daughter, Christine Marie; step-father, I. F. Peterson; step-sister, Joan Peterson; and step-brother, Jack Peterson. Those family members who will cherish his memory include: his brother, Richard Trudo of Thorofare, New Jersey; daughter and son-in-law, Pamela Trudo and John Leeming of Cumberland, Maine; son and daughter-in-law, Leonard and Meeja Trudo of St. Louis, Missouri; and four grandchildren: Miles Trudo of Seoul, South Korea; Haven Leeming of Chicago, Illinois; Reno Leeming of South Portland, Maine; and Anna Trudo of Columbus Ohio. Memorials may be made in O. D.â€™s memory to Storm Lake Dollars for Scholars, 119 West 6th Street, Storm Lake, Iowa, 50588.

O.D. Trudo

January 17, 1925 - June 15, 2013