Robert Lester Solheim

He was born on December 19, 1921, in Parker, South Dakota, where he attended school. His engineering studies were interrupted by World War II, where he served in the Infantry Division in the European Theatre. His division was in the Battle of the Bulge and was the first American division to link up with the Russian Forces on the Elbe River.

After his discharge from the Army in 1946, he completed his civil engineering degree at the South Dakota School of Mines. He worked in the field of engineering and construction with the United States Army Corps of Engineers for many years, developing six large dams and reservoir projects on the Missouri River in Midwestern states.

In 1971, Bob moved his family from Omaha, Nebraska, to Atlanta, Georgia, where he continued his work with the United States Army Corps of Engineers, serving as the chief of engineering for Parks and Recreation Division of the Southeast, working on sites at such locations as Allatoona, Hartwell, Lanier, and West Point.

After retiring in 1981, he enjoyed traveling, woodworking, gardening, and cooking. He was an avid square dancer and a member of the Silver Stars Square Dance Club in Atlanta.

He was a member of the Living Grace Lutheran Church (formerly St. Matthews Lutheran) since 1971, where he served on the church council.

He is survived by his wife of 66 years--Rosalie Solheim--, his daughter Karen Solheim, and two nieces--Margaret Hegge and Ellen Aadland--and their families.

Always a methodical individual, Bob penned most of the above obituary at least a decade before his death, demonstrating that he was a good writer and a left-brain thinker. Also noteworthy and revealing are the following:

● As a youth, Bob Solheim played the trombone and violin.

● In addition to having a pet squirrel whom he tried to teach to play the piano, Bob (as a child) had a dog, whose house he wallpapered.

● Bob initially attending Augustana University with the thought (perhaps not his) of becoming a minister.

● He had a part-time job while attending Augustana University, Sioux Falls, South Dakota, in the dining hall serving meals to faculty members.

● When World War II initially broke out, Bob worked in an ammunitions factory in California before enlisting.

● Bob and his wife Rosalie also lived in Newell, South Dakota; Fairfield, Montana; and Jacksonville, Florida, where daughter Karen was born.

● Bob enjoyed singing and was a tenor.

● Bob thought that hot food (as opposed to cold leftovers) was more nutritious.

● Bob was a meat-and-potatoes kind of guy, avoiding green vegetables and foods of other cuisines.

● Although he admits not inventing “milk toast,” it was one of his favorites, often eating it for breakfast, the meal he most enjoyed even in the evening.

● Bob began his enjoyment of woodworking before he retired, refinishing the basement of the first house he and his wife Rosalie owned in Omaha.

● Bob loved westerns, Fox News, and war movies.

● Bob loved bridges, once buying artwork of the Golden Gate Bridge to hang in his home.

● Bob is preceded in death by his siblings: brother Dell Solheim and his sister Harriet Lovseth.

● His last name is Norwegian and means “sunny home.”

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in his memory to the following or to a charity of your own choosing:

American Heart Association/ American Stroke Association

PO Box 840692

Dallas, TX 75284-0692

800.242.8721

Living Grace Lutheran Church

1812 Cooledge Road

Tucker, GA 30084

678.406.9229

Family and friends are invited to gather for a celebration-of-life service on Saturday, June 3, at 11 a.m. at Living Grace Lutheran Church and for visitation with the family at 10 a.m.

Following the service will be a luncheon to which all are invited.