[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 154 (2008), Part 17]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 23884]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




            HONORING THE LIFE AND MEMORY OF ED VOLLENWEIDER

                                 ______
                                 

                       HON. THADDEUS G. McCOTTER

                              of michigan

                    in the house of representatives

                       Thursday, October 2, 2008

  Mr. McCOTTER. Madam Speaker, today I rise to honor Ed Vollenweider, a 
community leader, and World War II hero, and mourn him upon his passing 
at age 87.
  Born in Chicago, Illinois in 1921, the son of Swiss immigrants, Ed 
Vollenweider grew up on a small dairy farm in New Glarus, Wisconsin. Ed 
joined the U.S. Air Force and became a successful B-26 bomber pilot 
garnering 72 missions in the European theater of World War II. One of 
the many B-26 planes he flew, Flak Bait, now rests in the Smithsonian 
Institution in Washington, DC. After his tour of duty ended, he briefly 
attended the University of Minnesota where he met and married Gloria 
Boehmke. Ed and Gloria owned and operated Larsen's Teal Lake Resort in 
Hayward, Wisconsin from 1947 to 1950. Sadly, in 1986 after 39 years of 
marriage, Ed's wife, Gloria passed away. In 1965, along with two 
partners, Ed opened the Detroiter Truckstop in Woodhaven, Michigan, 
where he served as President and CEO. For 43 years, the Detroiter 
Truckstop became an institution and landmark of southeast Michigan. Ed 
was also an active board member of the National Association of Truck 
Stop Operators, Michigan Trucking Association, Grosse Ile Golf and 
Country Club, and the National Rifle Association.
  Tragically, Ed passed away on September 28, 2008 and will be 
cherished as a devoted husband and father. To his wife, Faith, to his 
sons Edward and Billy, sisters Ruth Esser and Hulda Wesner; and to 
everyone who knew and loved him, Ed was a dedicated member of his 
community who will be truly missed.
  Madam Speaker, during his lifetime, Ed Vollenweider enriched the 
lives of everyone around him by exhibiting courage, leadership, and 
spirit. As we bid farewell to this outstanding individual, I ask my 
colleagues to join me in mourning his passing and honoring his many 
years of loyal service to his community and our country.

                          ____________________