Leonard Rodstol

Leonard Alvin Rodstol was born August 26, 1913, the 5th of 7 children to Ole and Pernille Rodstol. Leonard lived in the farm on Rodstol Lane from 1916 until moving to Ridgemont Nursing Home and then on to Retsil in 2005. Leonard enlisted in the Army on May 11, 1942 at the age of 29. He was a member of the 3rd Armor Division ?Hell on Wheels?. After enlisting, Leonard traveled from Fort Lewis to Camp Roberts, to Fort Dix and shipped out from New York to enter WWII. He landed in Casablanca, and then was transferred to The Middle Eastern Theatre of Operations under General George Patton in Tunisia on January 14. On April 1, 1943 Leonard was wounded in battle and transferred to Walter Reed Hospital in Washington DC. After several months at Walter Reed, he was transferred to the Woodrow Wilson Hospital, and then to DeShon General Hospital in Butler, PA where he was honorably discharged on December 22, 1943. Leonard was awarded the Purple Heart for his service. Leonard spent several months at home and then started a series of jobs over the next few years. He worked in construction and was also on a road survey crew. He then took a job at the Elliott Bay Plywood Company with his brothers Oswald and Laurence. After 7 years at the plywood company he decided that his biggest job was to care for the family farm on Rodstol Lane. Leonard lived with his Mother and brothers, Olaf and Oswald and took care of the property. He spent hours mowing, chopping wood, tending the cows, building and repairing fences, painting the house and barn and keeping the property in good shape. Leonard continued his rigorous physical activity until a few months before he moved in to Retsil at the age of 91. Leonard was proudest of his military service, his family and the family farm. He loved the Lord Jesus Christ and was a strong supporter of The Rev. Billy Graham and was able to attend a Billy Graham crusade in the 1970?s in Tacoma. Leonard was also an avid sports fan. Mariners, Husky?s, Seahawks, Sonics ? it didn?t matter what local team ? you could find him sitting in his chair at home with his ear pressed against the radio listening to sports. When Leonard won the Seattle Times ?Guest Guesser? contest, he and his brother Henry traveled to Pasadena to attend the Rose Bowl. His nephew Paul Westlund, took him to many Mariner games over the years. Leonard also talked frequently about the time Paul took him to Hawaii. Leonard didn?t wear his Hawaiian shirts too often, but when he did, he always talked about that trip. Leonard was also the family?s ?historical calendar? of birthdays, wedding dates, death dates. If you needed to know who was born when, or who lived in a certain house long ago, the family saying was ?Ask Uncle Leonard.? Leonard?s other passion was Yahtzee. He would spend hours playing with Henry, Perki, Cynthia, Peter, Charlotte, Laurence, Andre or Tony ? anyone who was willing to spend a few minutes rolling the dice. On one occasion his niece Linda decided to play with Leonard and Laurence. She found that even before the dice had quit rolling, Leonard would tell you the total of the dice, and the best place to enter it on your score card. He had a way with numbers. Leonard was predeceased by his parents Ole and Pernille and by his siblings Margaret, Olaf, Oswald, Henry and Harry. Leonard is survived by his brother Laurence and by his nieces Rose, Evelyn, Perki, Charlotte and Linda and by his nephews James and David. Leonard is also survived by 19 great-nieces and nephews. Leonard was a gentle spirit who seemed to get along with everyone he met. We will miss Uncle Leonard, but know he is in the presence of the Lord, free from pain and suffering. Funeral Service 1:00 pm on June 7, 2007 at WA State Veterans Home Retsil. Interment following at Sedgwick Cemetery in Port Orchard at 3:00 pm.