Earl Irvin Dobbs

Earl Irvin Dobbs, 94, of La Crosse, died on Monday, January 5, 2015 at the Hillview Health Care Center. He was born in Eastman, WI on April 30, 1920 to Clyde and Addie (Alderman) Dobbs. He married Evelyn Glee Coy on July 25, 1938 and they later divorced. He married Eleanor Thorsen on April 8, 1978 in La Crosse. Earl worked as a truck driver his entire life. He began working for Guy Friday in Viola, WI and Erickson Transport in Coon Valley. In 1951 he began working for Gateway Transportation where he worked for 26 years, retiring in 1977. He then worked for Gateway Foods as a groundskeeper for several years. In 1989 he began working at Franciscan Skemp as a mail courier and transporting patients. Earl retired for the final time in 2007. In his spare time Earl enjoyed hunting and fishing.
Earl is survived by three children, Marilyn (Bill) Heckelbeck of Chillicothe, MO, Raymond Dobbs of La Crosse, and Allen (Wendy) Dobbs of Galesville, 17 grandchildren, 33 great-grandchildren, and 25 great-great-grandchildren, and his close friend Natalie Schoenfeld. He was preceded in death by his wife Eleanor, a son Donald, a granddaughter, and infant grandson, five brothers, two sisters, three infant siblings, and two daughters-in-law, Mary and Lavila.
Memorial services will be held on Thursday, January 8, 2015 at 7:00 PM at the Schumacher-Kish Funeral & Cremation Services of La Crosse. Pastor Stephen Terpstra will officiate. Friends may call at the funeral home on Thursday from 5:00 PM until the time of services.