Edwin Moore

Edwin Earl Moore, 94, of Platteville, Wisconsin, died on Saturday, June 22, 2019 at Epione Pavilion, Cuba City, WI. A memorial service will be held at 1:00 p.m. on Friday, June 28, 2019 at the Platteville United Methodist Church (1065 Lancaster Street), Rev. Brenda Whitford and Rev. Kathleen Moore officiating. Visitation will be held between 11:00 and 1:00 at the church before the service. Internment at Greenwood Cemetery in Platteville (Greenwood Avenue) follows the service. Melby Funeral Home & Crematory will be handling the arrangements. Online condolences may be made at www.melbyfh.com.

Edwin was born on October 18, 1924 in the long-gone community Sonora near Grinnell, IA, the son of Methodist pastor Forest Allen Moore and former teacher Ida May (Freeman) Moore. He was the eighth son of the couple, who went on to have two more boys and a couple of girls. Ed and his siblings were close all their lives.

Ed grew up in various Methodist parsonages in south central Iowa, eventually graduating from Hartwick High School. After working briefly as a farm hand, Ed enlisted in the Army Air Corps and became a pilot during World War II, achieving the rank of second lieutenant.

Edwin married Gwendolyn Garrett, daughter of Charles Ottis and Kate Branch (Weaver) Garrett of Abbott, TX, on July 23, 1946 at Travis Park Methodist Church in San Antonio, TX.

After Edwin left the military, the couple moved to Iowa in 1947 where he entered the university on the GI bill.

Endlessly cheerful with a mischievous sense of humor, a keen observer, and a lover of learning, Edwin was a born teacher. Edwin earned his BA, MA and PhD in education at the University of Iowa in Iowa City. Ed and Gwen had two children along the way, Ronald and Celeste, imparting their love of learning to both. In the course of his teaching career, Ed and his family moved to Keota, IA, Urbana, IA, Iowa City, IA, and Omaha, NE. The family moved for the final time in 1964 as Ed joined the University of Wisconsin-Platteville staff, serving as the director of student teaching, administrator of the campus lab school, and the Education Department's audio-visual instructor.

Edwin was active in the United Methodist Church as a Sunday School teacher and occasional lay member at the UMC's annual conference. He was a civic volunteer for Kiwanis. He also belonged to professional organizations PDK and WEA. He loved fishing, reading, camping, gardening, astronomy, history, growing roses, golfing, studying wildlife, and photography. Ed made his family's Christmas cards for decades, developing his own photographs and learning to set type on a friend's printing press. Ed enjoyed traveling with family, visiting all but two states. He also visited Europe with several family members. Ed and his wife Gwen took part in short educational programs for elders across the United States, often with his siblings.

When Gwen became ill in 2008 and required the care of an assisted living facility, Edwin visited her for hours every day. Ed himself was diagnosed with Alzheimer's in 2009 and moved into the same facility to be with Gwen. Despite his growing memory problems, he enjoyed sharing his vast knowledge with everyone who would listen.

Edwin was preceded in death by his wife of 68 years (Gwendolyn); his parents; ten siblings, and their spouses, Howard and his wife Violet, Donald, Alleyne and his wife Maxine, John Paul and his widow Hertha, Robert, Harold and his widow Octavia, Raymond, widower Lester and his first wife Ruth and second wife Rosemary, Norman, and sister Lucille Butcher; his sister Priscilla's husband, Dale Strohbehn; his wife's sisters and their husbands, Christine, widow of Leo Hrncir, and Elaine, wife of Rudolph Behnke; and his grandson, John Kittel and his widow Valerie.

Edwin is survived by his sister, Priscilla Strohbehn; daughter, Celeste and son, Ronald; his daughter-in-law, Susan; his granddaughter, Andrea Kittel-Phillips and her husband Scott; two great-grandchildren, Isaiah and Autumn; two sisters-in-law, Marjory, the widow of Raymond, and Marles, the widow of Norman; and numerous nieces and nephews.