Mr. Alfred Robert Lautenbach's Obituary
Alfred Robert Lautenbach, age 81 of Nashville passed away August 9, 2013 at Life Care Center of Old Hickory, where he and his wife of 40 years, Marsha Thomas Lautenbach had been recuperating from accidental falls and pneumonia. Alfred, the son of Elsie Heckerd Lautenbach and Heinrich Lautenbach was born in Munster-Sahrmsein, Germany, later moving with his parents to Bingen-on-the-Rhine, where he attended school and ultimately graduated from 4 engineering colleges while living with his Aunt Lotte Winkler in Bingen, W. Germany. Unable to find a job, following the close of World War II, he boarded a ship to sail for America where he hoped to find a job with Boeing Aircraft Company. After living and working in New York City for months, he packed and traveled to Nashville to visit Jack Sealy, an American GI he had met in Germany while teaching a fencing class. Alfred’s friend encouraged him to apply for a job in Nashville, TN and to his surprise he was quickly offered a job at Nashville Bridge Company where he worked for approximately 15 years before being employed by Bristol Steel and Iron Works in Bristol, VA. While Alfred lived in Nashville he met and married his first wife, Eva Mae Corlew, the mother of his 3 children who survive him: Robert Lautenbach, Eric Lautenbach and Lisa (Murl) Davis. His parents and an older sister, Lilo (Manfred) Hausler pre-deceased him, but a younger sister, Monika (Horst) Neumann lives in Rodgau Nieder-Roden Rollwald near Frankfurt West Germany. In 1971, Alfred moved from Nashville, TN to Bristol, VA where he lived for 10 years. He married his second wife in Abingdon, VA and they were residents of Virginia until he was employed by Sheffield Steel, at which time he and Marsha moved to Palatka, FL. They lived there for five years before his next job moved him to Gamble Steel in Montgomery, AL. In 1989, Alfred retired and moved back to Nashville where he lived until his death in 2013. Alfred was a member of Inglewood United Methodist Church for 24 years and served on numerous boards and committees while his health enabled such participation. He was a life member of the Military Collectors Club and an active participant in Miniature Railroad Collector’s Association and a graduate of Nashville School of Law. As an immigrant to the U.S. from Germany he was required to learn the English language, serve at least 2 years in the U.S. Army and apply for U.S. Citizenship in order to be a green card holder who could work and remain in the USA for life! His citizenship was granted on July 4, 1954 at Fort Knox, Kentucky. Funeral services will be conducted on Wednesday, August 14th at 11:00 A.M. from the Chapel of Spring Hill Funeral Home with Rev. Jack Keller of Inglewood United Methodist Church officiating and Bucky Stevens and Lee Engles providing the music. Family and relatives will serve as pallbearers. Interment will follow in Historic Spring Hill Cemetery with Military Honors. The family will receive friends on Tuesday, August 13th from 6-8 P.M. and on Wednesday one hour prior to the service. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the Inglewood United Methodist Church, Nashville Humane Society or to Caudle Veterinary Clinic on Gallatin Road. Arrangements Entrusted To: Spring Hill Funeral Home and Cemetery, 5110 Gallatin Road, Nashville (615)865-1101 "Where Nashville Comes to Remember"
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