Edward W Kuhlman

Edward Walton Kuhlman born October 19, 1925 in Calumet City, Illinois was the son of Ida Mae Moor Kuhlman and Edward Gustav Julius Kuhlman, and brother to Betty Jane Kuhlman Glidden, his older sister. His early life was spent in this city, where he graduated from Thornton Fractional North High School – a star athlete and a National Honor Society Student. He attended Washington University in St. Louis before joining the Army Airforce. His military service was spent in Texas, training to be a bombardier, ironically, as his less than prefect eyesight, prevented him from becoming a pilot.

After the war he returned to Illinois where he met Norma Klinefelter of Hammond, Indiana. They were married in October, 1948 and began their life together in a two story Georgian home, in a neighborhood filled with other veterans, just beginning lives , families,and filled with optimism about the future.

Within 10 years he was father to four children, Karen Kae Kuhlman of San Francisco, CA, Kathy Lee Kuhlman O’Brien (David) of Harvard, IL, Karol Kris Kuhlman Strane (Kevin) of Rogue River, Oregon and Edward G.J. Kuhlman II (Amy) of Rockford, Illinois.

He is grandfather to Dr. Sara O’Brien, Samuel Monroe Strane, Zachary O’Brien, Edward Jacob Strane, Anna Rose Strane and Max Ewan McCarthy. And great grandfather to Avarie James Strane, Madelyn Grace O’Brien, Levi O’Brien Hess, and Ava Sue O’Brien.

Edward spent half his working life as a sales man in the US steel industry, employed first by the W. J. Holiday Steel Company - his territory was downtown Chicago. He soon became so familiar with this urban landscape that he could avoid all the inclimate weather Lake Michigan threw his way, reaching his to clients using the underground and covered roadways known to those truly familiar with the Chicago loop.

In 1959, at the age of 34 a promotion brought him to Rockford, the machine tool capital of the world. The young family settled into in the Rural Street house that is still the family home. Soon his oldest daughters were attending Sunday school and singing in the children’s choir at Westminster Presbyterian Church, a few blocks east of their home. Ed and Norma also joined the congregation; he became a29th degree Mason and Ed’s fifty-six year exploration of religion, prayer, service and love was underway.

The odyssey began with involvement at Westminster Church. Together Ed and Norma worked with and headed up the Mariners, a couples group at the church and acted as advisors for the senior high fellowship for several years, once travelling with local high schoolers to a Flandreau, South Dakota Indian reservation. Ed’s interests grew to include day to day church administration and led him to serve as a deacon, an elder and member of the session.

What does it mean to truly be a Christian? How could he manifest Christianity in his daily life? These questions were central to his study; he shared his questions and quest with all those around him – a circle that continued to expand beyond the walls of Westminster Presbyterian church and eventually led him to accept the position as moderator of the Blackhawk presbytery.

Ed’s faith was active and of the world but he found that faith also requires reflection and stillness. He helped organize a Wednesday morning men’s prayer group at his church and participating in the practice of the Tres Dias groups across northern Illinois.

In his late fifties, Ed retired from steel and through prayer found new arenas for service and worked for many years with at risk teenagers, working first with a group home called SEEDS and then with the Winnebago County CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates for Children) organization. For more than ten years, he worked as a Guardian ad litem, retiring only when the case work for six young men under his care was complete. Ed was well into his 80’s and the prospect of accepting new children, whose cases would span many years, was no longer practical. But over the years, Ed and Norma opened their hearts, home, and occasionally their bank account to these children.

A socially gregarious man who valued friendship and communication, now connected with others via his computer. He was often at his upstairs desk, searching the internet, talking with friends and family – sending daily messages to his children and those he loved – “Remember, god loves you…and so do I”.

Edward passed away peacefully at home on Friday, July 15. A memorial service will be held on Friday, July 22 at Sunset Memorial Gardens, . There will be a visitation at 1:00 pm and a service at 2:00 pm. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests that donations can be made to the Winnebago County CASA program, 403 Elm Street, Rockford IL 61101 or to the Visiting Nurse Association Hospice, 4223 E. State Street, Rockford IL 61108