Robert Howard Altherr
Biography
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Date of Birth December 23, 1922
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Place of Birth Kokomo, IN
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Date of Death July 7, 2018
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Place of Death
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Place of Burial Santa Fe National Cemetery, Santa Fe, NM
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SECTION 22 SITE 1075
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Burial Notice Robert H. Altherr, 1922-2018
Parents
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Father’s Name Clarence F. ‘Hap’ Altherr, 1895-1981
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Mother’s Name Verna E. (Jones) Altherr, 1897-1981
Spouse
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Wife’s Name Mary Ella (Sutton) Altherr
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Married Family Name Robert and Mary (Sutton) Altherr Family
Children
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Son’s Name Mark R. H. Altherr
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Daughter’s Name Barbara (Altherr) Lail
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Daughter’s Name Rebecca (Altherr) Goldworthy
Personal History
He attended Purdue University and got a degree in Chemical Engineering. He worked for Delco, Monsanto, and finally Sandia Lab in New Mexico where he retired in 1984. He was proud to have been retired longer than he worked.
He loved words although he was a man of few words. He read vociferously. He was known at the library because he walked there every week to exchange books. He read from W.E.B. Griffin to the Bible. He read many of the books multiple times and was fond of explaining which of the series he enjoyed the most.
He loved flying. He learned to fly in the Army Air Corps and became an instructor during the war. He was a single engine flight instructor and he was a fighter pilot for single engine planes. He had his own plane for many years and loved to go off on adventures or just to go eat breakfast at another airport with other pilots.
He loved sailing. He enjoyed the puzzle of sailing to a target and spent many happy hours on his boat on Lake Heron. He owned and enjoyed his boat for 10 years.
He loved music. From Jeanette McDonald and Nelson Eddy to Robert Goulet to Hope Church to his time with the New Mexico Barbershop group. When he was relaxed he often broke into song.
He loved playing golf with his friends. They would be first off every week so they could get done early and have time to go home and take a nap. That was important for the group of guys. He celebrated the success of each of his golfing buddies.
He loved Hope Church and served in many capacities over the years. They were members since 1961 and were faithful in their tithes and time.
He loved a good milkshake and sampled all over the United States. One of his jobs as a youth was working in an ice cream shop where he dropped a big cylinder of milk on his big toe and that toe was a reminder of that time for all of us.
He was not a judgmental person. He had plenty he could criticize but he didn’t do it. He was a great listener and was thoughtful before he spoke.
He loved his wife. She was the firecracker who got him off his chair for many adventures all over the world. He wrote poetry to her and was really a romantic guy.
He loved his children. Each one was unique and he was always there when they really needed him no matter their age or circumstance. He showed his love by doing and helping over the years. He never imposed but was available when they really needed him.
He loved his $3 watches. He liked saying “That’s a Lincoln not a Ford” about his car. He would correct someone when he heard “I’m mad”, “No he’d say, you’re angry.”
He loved genealogy. He researched both families to show his family where we came from. He even took a trip back to Europe to the town where his family came from.
He loved Jesus Christ as his Savior and lived his life the best he knew how according to his beliefs. He served and loved his family and was a man that we loved to be around.