A. Edwin Vinson, 93, of Sheboygan Falls, passed peacefully into
the presence of his Lord and Savior on Thursday afternoon, February 8, 2018, at
Pine Haven Residential Home.
Ed was born on February 17, 1924, in Toledo, Ohio, son of
James S. and Hazel (Kuehnle) Vinson. He was a 1942 graduate of Toledo Woodward
High School. Ed served in the US Air
Force during World War II as a bombardier in the 38
th
Bomb Group. On September 20, 1946, he married Ruth J.
Kramer in Sheboygan. Ed started his
career in Sheboygan in the hardware department at Prange-Geisenheimer
Hardware. In 1951, he was the top
salesperson of Delta Tools in Wisconsin.
During that year, he changed careers to become a Life Underwriter for Metropolitan
Life Insurance. He later served as the
President of the Life Underwriters Association in Sheboygan. He retired in 1981, after 29 years of service
with Metropolitan. In retirement, he
worked in cabinet making and remodeling, turning his long-time hobby into a
small part-time business. He also enjoyed
the “hunt” for antique hand tools and woodworking planes. He was an active member of the Midwest Tool
Collectors for many years.
In 1949, Ed joined the Evangelical Free Church in Sheboygan,
where he served as a Sunday school teacher, Trustee, Chairman of the Executive
Board, member of the Building Committee and many other areas of service. He developed a program for the Youth called,
Teens ‘N Topics, where he helped the teens develop confidence in public
speaking skills. He tirelessly worked with
fellow members to remodel the church facility on south 9
th
street,
the parsonage on south 10
th
street, the Christian Education Building
Addition, and the subsequent remodeling a vacant Red Owl Store into the current
facility.
His children, grandchildren, family members and friends
remember Ed’s generous giving spirit, in so many ways. He devoted countless hours to helping each of
us with any project, large or small. He
was happy to have developed a strong relationship with his two son-in-laws, and
his daughter-in-law through working together.
He took delight in finding and gifting tools to his children,
grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
He was known for meticulous calligraphy to personalize greeting cards, letter
Bible verses as gifts, and most recently, to recognize the birthdays of some of
his friends at Pine Haven. He was also
known for his interesting, detailed story-telling, including tales of Grandpa
Kuehnle, Montana, the Air Force, and working on projects.
Ed was the devoted father of two daughters, Sharyn (Al)
Whitman of Hanover, IN and Lori (Gary) Lindau of Waterville, OH; and son, Dale (Brenda)
Vinson of Sheboygan Falls; cherished grandfather of six grandchildren, Jason
(Ondee) Whitman, Alia (Craig) Schellenberg, Jonathan (Orianna) Lindau, Peter
Lindau, Joshua (Lauren) Vinson, and Zachery (Christina) Vinson; eleven
great-grandchildren; one sister-in-law Mildred “Midge” Vinson; one brother-in-law,
Donald (Peggy)Kramer of Minneapolis, and many nieces and nephews.
Ed was devoted to his wife Ruth who preceded him in death as
well as his parents; one son, Ronald Vinson; one brother, John K. (Dorothy) Vinson,
two sisters, Mary (Dell) Woon and Nancy (Larry) Pawlaczyk.
A service to
celebrate Ed’s life will take place at 6 pm on Tuesday, February 13, 2018, at
the Evangelical Free Church, 1710 N. 15
th
Street, Sheboygan, WI 53081, with the Rev. Dr. Gary Hylander and
Rev. Jon MacDonald officiating. A
private burial with military honors will take place at Wildwood Cemetery.
Relatives and friends
may greet the family at the church on Tuesday from 3:00-6:00 pm, with the
service immediately following at 6:00pm.
A memorial fund has been established in Ed’s name for
Sheboygan County Campus Life, P.O. Box 83, Sheboygan, WI 53082-0083, or Evangelical Free Church, 1710
N. 15
th
Street, Sheboygan, WI
53081.
For online condolences and additional information please
visit
www.wenigfh.com
The Vinson family would like to extend their heartfelt
appreciation to the staff at Pine Haven Residential Home, and the Sharon S. Richardson
Community Hospice for the loving and dedicated care given to Ed and their
family.
The staff of the Wenig Funeral Home of Sheboygan Falls (920-467-3431)
is assisting Ed’s family with arrangements.
