|
Reuben C. 'Rube' Onstad San Diego, CA QCWA # 25762 Chapter 14 |
 |
Name: Reuben Christofer Onstad
Birth Date: 4 Jan 1915
Birth Place: Ada, Norman County, Minnesota, United States of America
Death Date: 6 Apr 2016
Death Place: San Diego, San Diego County, California, United States of America
Cemetery: Miramar National Cemetery
Burial or Cremation Place: San Diego, San Diego County, California, United States of America
Reuben Onstad, age 101, of San Diego, California, died Wednesday, April 6th 2016, peacefully at home. He was married for 66 years to Gertrude, worked as an Electronic Engineer for General Dynamics, and was a man of deep faith as a charter member of Clairemont Lutheran Church in San Diego. He also served in the U.S. Navy during World War II and the Korean War, and was an amateur radio enthusiast.
Reuben, who had a fine sense of humor, was born on January 4, 1915 in Ada, a small town in northwestern Minnesota, which was the home of many Norwegian immigrants, including Peder and Embjorg Onstad. Peder came to America in 1916, as a one year old. His 21-year-old father was escaping hard times in Norway and got 160 acres of farming land to homestead. As Rube grew up, he helped out in his father's general store, and as a teenager, he and brother Nord built their own radios. They joined the ranks of shortwave amateur radio buffs, learning the Morse code by themselves so they could pass a rigorous FCC exam for ham radio licenses. Rube enjoyed being a radio amateur throughout his life and in 2009 received an award for 75 years of service as a Licensed Radio Amateur.
Reuben also loved music, which came to the fore when he attended Concordia College, Moorehead, Minnesota, and sang in the senior choir, a rare accomplishment for a freshman. Throughout the rest of his life he continued to sing in choirs and enjoy music. His studies were interrupted by the attack on Pearl Harbor in December 1941. He signed up with the Navy the following month and due to his electronic and radio experience, entered as a Radioman Second Class and served at a variety of posts, including Okinawa.
After being honorably discharged as Chief Petty Officer, Rube went back to the University of Minnesota on the GI Bill, majoring in Electrical Engineering and graduating in 1949. In Minneapolis, he met Gertrude Krauss at a Luther League youth group meeting at Our Saviourâs Lutheran Church. After marrying in January 1950, the couple moved to Boulder City, Nevada, where Rube worked for the Bureau of Reclamation. The newlyweds had not even spent a year in Nevada, when world events once again intervened. The Korean War had broken out and Rube got a wire recalling him into the Navy. He ended up at the Naval Training Center in San Diego.
After another stint of 13 months in the Navy, Rube was hired as an Electronic Engineer by Convair aircraft and aerospace company and the couple settled in San Diego. Rube spent his whole career at Convair, which later became General Dynamics. He worked on the Atlas ICBM design team on telemetry systems, which monitored performance and sent data to the ground. He also worked on the F-16 fighter jet, which led to a foreign assignment in Europe which enabled Rube and Gert to live in Norway for a year, the first time he had visited the land of his ancestors. They also spent two years in Brussels.
Throughout his life, Rube was a man of faith, having grown up in a Christian household. In 1954, Rube was among charter members of Clairemont Lutheran, and helped lay bricks for the foundation of the church building. He was active in the burgeoning congregation from the beginning, serving as the first Superintendent of the Sunday School and on the first Board of Deacons. He was a stalwart in the bass section of the choir for many years and also taught English as a Second Language to immigrants.
During his retirement, Rube kept up his love of the outdoors, running 10K races, continuing to jog well into his 80s and taking frequent hikes and walks after that. He was also an amateur photographer and enjoyed woodworking.
He is survived by his brother Nord, 103, his wife, Gertrude, children Mark, Eric, and Julianna, daughter-in-law Joyce and granddaughters Jasmine and Nicole. He was loved and respected by all who knew him.
On Saturday, May 7th, at 11 am, there will be a memorial service for Reuben at Clairemont Lutheran Church, 4271 Clairemont Mesa Boulevard, San Diego, 92117. Inurnment will be at Miramar National Cemetery, 5795 Nobel Drive, San Diego, 92122.