Allan Lambert Robitaille, age 90, of Sheldon, passed away on Friday, February 10, 2023, at Sanford Sheldon Senior Care in Sheldon.
There is No Service Planned at this Time.
The Vander Ploeg Funeral Home of Sheldon, Iowa is assisting the family with their arrangements.
Allan Lambert Robitaille passed away at the rich age of 90 on February 10, 2023.
Allan was born on January 19, 1933 in Virginia Minnesota, to Ermalinda (Ackerman) Robitaille and John S Robitaille. Allan was the youngest of their four children.
Allan was an active boy. He climbed trees, and fell out of trees. He would go berry picking with the family so that his mother could make the best Chokecherry and Blueberry jam around. Spent countless hours swimming in the beautiful lakes of Minnesota and also swam in an occasional gravel pit or two. He was on the school swim team and played hockey.
Upon graduation he enlisted into the US Air Force. It was the beginning of the Korean War, but he was sent to Germany instead. He was trained to be an Air Policeman and became a very sharp shot. This talent was an advantage for him in his later years as he was an avid pheasant hunter. He never came home empty handed. He met his wife Brigitta Maria Pfahler during his stay in Germany. She couldn’t speak a word of English, but by then Allan was fairly fluent in German. She gained the nickname “Getta” at that time and that name has stuck with her.
Allan and Getta were married February 16, 1954 in Germany. In fact, they were married twice that day. One time for a civil ceremony and then in a religious ceremony. Allan was discharged shortly after their marriage and he was shipped back to the US. Getta would follow 3 months later after the legal red tape and paperwork was completed.
They settled in Winona, Minnesota and Allan commuted each day across the Mississippi to Eau Claire, WI where he worked at Stevenson’s. Eventually, they would relocate to Austin, MN where Allan took a job with the JC Penney Company. From there, Allan would be transferred within the company to Rochester, MN, Ida Grove IA and finally to Sheldon, IA where he managed the JC Penney store until his retirement in 1993.
During his retirement, they spent winters in Florida and took their grandchildren on trips to Disney World and Kennedy Space Center. Getta’s family from Germany visited from time to time and they traveled to the Black Hills and northern Minnesota. Allan enjoyed gardening and fishing, flying RC planes and making rockets.
Left to cherish is memory is his wife, Getta; his two children, Cheryl (Dan) Gosch of Ida Grove, Iowa and Rob (Kellylynn) Robitaille of Owatonna, Minnesota, Grandchildren, Brittany (Lee) Schoof, Derick (Desirae) Gosch and three great grandchildren, Wynn Olivia Schoof, Brixxon Lee Schoof and Everett Allan Gosch.
He was preceded in death by his parents, a brother, Jack and two sisters, Marie and Genevieve.
