Robert "Bob" Kirsch

CHARLES CITY, Iowa - Robert "Bob" Kirsch, 89, of Charles City, died Saturday, January 26, 2008, at Mercy Medical Center in Mason City.

A funeral Mass for Bob Kirsch will be held 10:30 a.m. Tuesday at the Immaculate Conception Catholic Church. Reverend Carl Ries, pastor, and Reverend Brian Shepley will concelebrate the Mass. Burial will be in Calvary Cemetery, Charles City. Military honors will be conducted by the Charles City Ceremonial Unit.

Friends may call at the Hauser Funeral Home from 4 to 7 p.m. Monday where the Rosary will be recited at 6:30 p.m. Visitation will continue Tuesday at the church an hour prior to the service.

Robert Francis Kirsch was born November 2, 1918, at Charles City, the son of Louis and Eva (Wolf) Kirsch. He graduated from Immaculate Conception Academy in 1936. Bob served in the United States Army Air Corps during World War II. He was a crewman on a B-29 bomber flying bombing missions over Japan from their base in Guam. Bob was always proud of the fact that his B-29 crew flew over the USS Missouri during the signing of the treaty ending the war with Japan. On July 21, 1947, he was united in marriage to Phyllis Draker. Bob was the proprietor of Kirsch Body Shop. He was a member of the Immaculate Conception Catholic Church, V.F.W., past member of the Elks Club and had served for 23 years as a volunteer firefighter with the Charles City Fire Department. Bob was an enthusiastic outdoorsman enjoying hunting, fishing, trapping, boating on the river and going up north on vacation.

Living family members include his wife, Phyllis Kirsch of Charles City; a son, Michael (Sherry) Kirsch of Charles City; three grandchildren, Mark (Michelle) Kirsch, Nicholes (Laurie) Kirsch and Cara (Tony) Heiselman; three great grandchildren, Ashley and Alexis Kirsch and Parker Heiselman; four sisters, Marie DeBakey of Houston, Tex., Lois (Robert) Havlik of Cedar Rapids, Arlis (Robert) Ford of Cedar Rapids and Agnes (Robert) McKone of Carroll; and many nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his parents and a sister, Helen McGee.

Memorials may be directed to the Immaculate Conception School Tuition Fund, 1203 Clark Street, Charles City, IA 50616.

The Hauser Funeral Home, (641) 228-2323, www.hauserfh.com, in Charles City, is in charge of arrangements.