February Bandstand Flag Notice – Neal Eugene Wolfe

Neal Eugene Wolfe

Neal Eugene Wolfe

March 10, 1922 – January 18, 2025

The United States Navy

Neal was born in Unionville, Missouri, raised on the family farm, and attended country school. He enlisted in the US Navy on October 17, 1942. Neal was part of the crew of the Cruiser Birmingham and participated in landings in North Africa and Sicily before heading to the Pacific Theatre. She was considered one of the “fightingist” ships of the Navy, and Neal was present during the three times she sustained substantial damage. The Birmingham gunners shot down numerous suicide planes, and Wolfe saw action in the Solomons, Marianas, Philippines, and Iwo Jima. Following his discharge on November 21, 1945, he returned to Unionville and worked as a meat cutter for Grabosh Meat Market.

Neal moved to Ottumwa in 1947, where he was employed as a meat cutter at a grocery store. Later, he was employed as a painter by John Deere for five years. While at John Deere, Neal also worked at a gas station in the evenings. He met his future wife, Rosemary, there as she passed by the station each night on her way home from work. In 1954, Neal worked briefly as a meat cutter with Super Value Grocery Store in Knoxville. After their marriage, they moved to Oskaloosa in November of that year, and he went to work at Howarth Refrigeration. In 1960, Neal and Rosemary opened Wolfe Appliance Service in Oskaloosa. Together, they operated the business until 2005.