Paul Rosenberger

1929 - 2025

Paul Rosenberger

December 1, 1929 - September 26, 2025

Paul Charles Rosenberger was born on December 1, 1929, son of August and Olive Rosenberger in Armstrong, Iowa.

Paul died at home on Friday, September 26, 2025 and his body was donated to medical science.

A memorial service will be held at the First Presbyterian Church, Decatur, Ill., at 11 a.m. Saturday, October 18, 2025. Visitation will be 5 to 8 p.m. on Friday, October 17, 2025 at the church.

Paul was raised on a farm near Estherville, Iowa. He attended first through sixth grades in a one-room country school and six years (7-12) in Gruver, population 100. In 1947 Paul graduated as salutatorian in a class of six from Gruver High School where he was involved in athletics (baseball & basketball) and in music (he played cornet in the band and sang in the school chorus.) Just before graduation in May 1947 his music teacher took him and a HS pianist to the National Music Competition in St. Joseph, Missouri where he won a top rating for a baritone solo. That September he enrolled in Engineering at Iowa State College in Ames, Iowa. There he joined and traveled with the Iowa State Singers, became a life member of Phi Mu Alpha Music Fraternity and Alpha Zeta Agricultural Honorary. While there he joined the Westminster Presbyterian Church in Ames, Iowa, sang in its choir, was elected a student member of its Session, and led the singing at the Sunday evening student gatherings where he met his future wife, Peggy Hensley, from Marshalltown, Iowa. Paul was the last surviving member of the highly sought after Iowa State Musical Quartet called "Three Rips and a Snort". In March 1952, he graduated with a BS Degree in Agricultural Engineering with a Power & Machinery Major.

On April 1, 1952, he joined Caterpillar Tractor Co. in Peoria, Ill. as a design engineer trainee. In May 1952 he was drafted into the US Army where he completed 16 weeks of Advanced Infantry training at Ft. Riley, Kansas during the Korean War. He then was assigned to the U.S. Corps of Engineers' Training Center at Ft. Belvoir, VA near Washington, DC to teach 3rd & 4th Echelon repair of construction equipment. For several months he led the hymns at the Army Base Chapel. On December 21, 1952 Paul married Peggy Hensley in Marshalltown, Iowa. She remained at Iowa State to complete her BS Degree in Home Economics.

During the Korean War Paul was temporarily reassigned for four months to Aberdeen Proving Grounds to assist his supervising officer teach high-ranking US and foreign officers how to inspect technical services when they conducted inspections at their home base facilities. After he returned to Ft. Belvoir on weekends he would catch a bus ride to Washington, DC and walk to a servicemen's hostel managed by the Connecticut Avenue Presbyterian Church. He joined their Saturday choir and the following morning would sing at their early service where occasionally two of the attendees were President Dwight Eisenhower and his wife, Mamie.

After honorable discharge after two years of active duty, he returned to Caterpillar in Peoria to complete his interrupted training, then choosing to join the new Decatur Engineering Department as a design engineer. In October 1955 he and Peggy moved with the engineering group to Decatur to the newly built Decatur plant. Until his retirement on July 1, 1993, he was a designer, supervisor, and staff engineer. In 1968 he earned an MS Degree in Theoretical & Applied Mechanics from the U of IL. As a long-time member of the Society of Automotive Engineers, he was elected as a Decatur Chapter officer and for several years was a Session Organizer for the Annual SAE Off-Highway Equipment National Conference held in Milwaukee, Wis.

Paul and Peggy joined First Presbyterian Church of Decatur in January,1956 soon after welcoming a son, Chad, and later two daughters, Kim and Jill. He soon became an ordained deacon and elder and a long-time choir member. He and Peggy divorced in May, 1971. Their three teen-aged children remained with him until completing their high school and three different college BS degrees. On June 29, 1973, he married Verlyn Kay Fulton of Decatur, formerly of Arthur, Ill., whom he had met in the First Presbyterian Church choir. He served as a Youth Sunday School Teacher, Senior Lunch Bunch and First Friends leader, and on several committees. Some of his favorite bible verses: Matthew 28:20: Jesus said "Lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the world" and in Hebrews 13: Christ said, "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you."

Paul and Verlyn loved to travel to National Parks and museums and to enjoy Decatur Municipal Band concerts, Decatur Symphony Orchestra concerts and various programs at Millikin University. They also enjoyed visiting their family including three grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren all living out of state.

In the 1960's Paul was active in various Decatur Public School PTAs and booster clubs. He was a member of the Decatur Breakfast Sertoma Club from 1976 until it disbanded in 2020. During those years he served as a board member, secretary and newsletter editor. In 1980-81 he served as the Mid-Illinois District Sertoma Governor and in 2004-2008 Downstate Illinois District Acting Governor. In 2012 he was presented a President's Lifetime Service Award at an International Sertoma Convention.

In October 1983 Paul contracted Guillain-Barre' Syndrome, an auto-immune, peripheral neuropathy disease, and partially recovered during eight months in Decatur Memorial Hospital. Since then, he used a wheelchair. As a strong advocate for persons with disabilities, he was a co-founder and board member of Soyland Access to Independent Living (SAIL) including coordinated construction of numerous wheelchair ramps funded by a City of Decatur Block Grant. He also served on numerous charitable organization boards including the Sertoma Speech & Hearing Center of Palos Hills, IL, the State Coalition of Citizens with Disabilities in Illinois, Soyland Access to Independent Living (SAIL), Easter Seals Central Illinois and Easter Seals Illinois, Macon Resources Inc., Human Service Agency Consortium (HSAC), Congregations of Decatur Area, Theatre 7, Symphony Orchestra Guild of Decatur, Coalition of Neighborhood Organizations, Holiday Hills Neighborhood Organization, Decatur Audubon Society and the East Central Illinois Area Agency On Aging. He acted, sang, and built sets in numerous Theatre 7 productions. He sang several years with the Decatur Chapter of the Barbershoppers and for ten years sang with a North Stars Trio that entertained at nursing homes. He and his wife, Verlyn, were active members of the Decatur Camera Club during the 1970's and were also board members and supporters of numerous Decatur area charitable organizations and in Illinois People's Action of Bloomington, Ill.

Paul was preceded in death by his parents of Estherville, Iowa; his brother, Clark and his wife, Betty, of Asheville, N.C.; his first wife, Peggy, of Apache Junction, Ariz; nephew, Allan and brother-in-law, Elvon Fulton, of Arthur, Ill.

He is survived by his wife, Verlyn; son, Chad (Rebecca), of Knoxville, Tenn.; daughters, Kim, of Apache Junction, Ariz, and Jill Powers, of Charleston, S.C.; three grandchildren, Michael (Jessica) of Highland Village, Texas and Franklin, Tenn., Seth (Haley) and Kristy (Adam) O'Connor of Knoxville, Tenn.; niece, Diane (Brad) Slater of Pineville, N.C., and eight great-grandchildren.

Memorials to First Presbyterian Church of Decatur, Ill, or donor's choice.

Condolences and memories may be shared with the family in care of Brintlinger and Earl Funeral Homes at www.brintlingerandearl.com.

Brintlinger and Earl Funeral Home

2827 N Oakland Ave, Decatur, IL, 62526

217-875-1283