Emmet Nolting
Emmet H. O. Nolting, 88, of Waukon died Thursday, November 8, 2018 at Veterans Memorial Hospital in Waukon. Funeral services were held Monday, November 12 at Zion United Church of Christ in Waukon with Pastor Keith Selberg officiating. Burial was at Oakland Cemetery, Waukon.
Emmet Herman Otto Nolting was born May 29, 1930 in Waukon, the son of Ruben and Esther (Keehn) Nolting. He was baptized and confirmed at Zion Evangelical Reformed Church in Waukon. In 1948, he graduated from Waukon High School.
Emmet was always quite an athlete and while in school played basketball and football; when he was 16, Emmet played softball with the Waukon Vets and later played for a Waterville team that won the league championship. As an adult, Emmet played fast pitch ball and managed for the Culligan and Red Owl teams. He played ball all over Iowa, Minnesota and Wisconsin, including a tournament in Stout where they lost the last game that could have sent them to the world championship in Japan. Emmet also played in a Kiwanis tournament in Dubuque for handicapped children.
After completing school, Emmet helped his dad with farming. April 9, 1960, he married the love of his life, Coila Sorum, at Old East Paint Creek Lutheran Church in rural Waterville. February 4, 1961, their daughter, Diane Coila Nolting, was born. Emmet and his brother-in-law, Roland Grotegut, farmed together for a number of years. After he quit milking, Emmet fed cattle and calves and also raised hogs. Later, he decided to raise Simmental beef cows and calves, which were his pride and joy; he sold the calves for 4-H projects. In 1996, Emmet had to sell his cattle due to his cancer, but rented out his farm land and went into antiques. Emmet also did some carpenter work, including working with Earl Roffman, and helped paint the Zion church basement while Rev. Beck was the minister. For six years, Emmet mowed lawn at Oakland Cemetery in Waukon.
He was a member of Zion United Church of Christ in Waukon, where he sang in the church choir; when he was a young man, Emmet collected money for the church Christmas sacks. When Veterans Memorial Hospital in Waukon was first opening, Emmet raised money through the FFA to complete two of the rooms. Since the fifth grade, Emmet has been certified by the Red Cross to provide assistance during disasters and, for a few years when he was younger, was an associate with the Walton League, which helped with conservation. Throughout his life, Emmet loved hunting and fishing, especially with his brother-in-law, Roland. Emmet, Coila and Diane also did some traveling.
Emmet is survived by his daughter, Diane Nolting of Waukon; his niece, Judith Robinson of Germany; his great-nephew, Mark Travis Robinson; and his dog, Boy. He was preceded in death by his parents; his wife, Coila, who died in 2010; and his sister, Dorrene (Roland) Grotegut.
Honorary casketbearers were Anna Yoder, Patty Cheeseman, Cheryl Rice, Wayne and Lil Schmieden, Charles and Lois Rolfs, Dani and Janice Bahr, Stan and Cheryl Martins, Darlene Keehn, Andy and Lizzie Hershberger, Ada Borntrager, Susan Hershberger and Cheryl Nolting. Casketbearers were Clarence Borntrager, Travis Curtin, Chad Nolting, Syl Hershberger, Jami Piggott, John Ries, Caleb Opperman and Bill Adam.
Online condolences may be left at www.martinfunerals.com.
