An obituary I read today. I think you will enjoy it.

Roland Stuart Yunghans Pitman, N.J. A real character died on March 25, 2021. If you knew him then you are nodding your head. He probably died because he didn't do one of three things: wear a hat, brush his teeth, or shut the door. Born in Vincennes, Indiana, on March 11, 1925, he was the only child of Alvin and Clara Yunghans. They were hardheaded German Lutherans who preached the gospel and allowed for no failures. Roland learned to play the piano from his mother and took up the drums when he was in high school. It was his drum playing that assisted him in learning Morse Code. Roland graduated from VHS in 1943 and enlisted in the US Army/Air Corps. He was stationed in Elmswell, England, during WWII and was the radio operator/ bombardier on a B-17 named "Little Audrey." He could still do Morse Code up until his death. He left the service in 1946 and headed to DePauw University, Greencastle, Indiana. While strolling down the sidewalk from his fraternity (Phi Kappa Psi) past the Kappa Alpha Theta sorority, it was there that he spied Dorothy Jeanne Cline and uttered his famous line, "Come here, little girl." Not knowing what she was getting into, Dorothy spoke with him, and there was no looking back. They were married on December 28, 1948. They didn't have a pot to piss in but nevertheless made a family and a good life. Two events occurred in 1950. His first son, David Eric, was born, and then he graduated with a B.S. in Chemistry. Two years later, he had his M.A. in Chemistry and a daughter, Gretchen Karol. While Dorothy worked in a local store and took David to pre-school, Roland left Gretchen on the porch of the Phi Psi house so that he could "watch her" from the chemistry lab windows across the street. Children and Youth would be called today! In 1955, another son, Kurt Frederic, was born. After that, the family moved to Arcola, Illinois, where Roland worked in a chemical plant. In 1958, their last son, Karl Paul, was born. In July of 1960 an eventful move occurred. The family moved to Pitman, New Jersey. Roland went ahead to begin working at Dixon Chemical in Paulsboro, NJ. Dorothy and the children traveled to NJ in their station wagon driven by Dorothy's mother. We can't say that the ride was uneventful. Karl vomited through every tunnel and having missed the exit off the Schuylkill Expressway to the Walt Whitman Bridge THREE times, Dorothy's mother BACKED UP on the Schuylkill to the screams of everyone. Crossing the WW Bridge also brought a lot of anxiety since no one had seen a bridge that big! They were a stinking mess by the time they arrived in Pitman. They lived at the Pitman Hotel for several days until their furniture arrived. Dorothy had everyone making their own beds and walking quietly under strict orders not to bother anyone. Finally, the family moved into their home on Highland Terrace where Roland and Dorothy lived until 2019 when they moved to assisted living. The highlight of 1961 was the Pitman Fourth of July Parade. Dorothy and the children went downtown to view it. Roland sat on the porch and told them later that the parade went right down their street. Never again did the family leave their yard/porch on July 4! For many years, Roland could be found standing next to the beer keg in the back yard offering up drinks to passersby. Roland worked at several chemical plants. He also worked for the state of New Jersey/Environmental Protection and was instrumental in getting the coast of NJ mapped for imminent domain. He retired from there in 1988. David married Suzanne Cummins in 1973 and had two children, Erik (Louisa) and Kristin (Ken). Erik and Louisa have one son, Anders, and a daughter, Evelyn. Kristin and Ken have one daughter, Eliza. Gretchen married Raymond Maysek in 1977. Kurt married Tim Hays (now deceased) in 1994. Karl married Janet Casebeer in 1998 and had two children, Kasey and Konnor. All of them can remember hearing these words: "Shut the damn door!" "Where the hell have you been?" "You're late!" "Did you brush your teeth?" "What do you want to eat?" "You got sick because you didn't wear a hat!" "I forgot my teeth." "Quit eating like a G-- damn hog!" "Where's my camera/cane/wallet/hearing aids, etc." The list goes on and on. Roland and Dorothy and their children summered in Cape May Point, NJ, for over forty years. It was there that he took on his alter ego, Rubbish Ranger. Wearing a mask and cape, Rubbish Ranger would grab up any and all trash whisking it to the garbage cans while fighting off mosquitoes the size of small birds. Success was accomplished if there were no bug bites! Being the ever-sociable person that he was, Roland met a lot of other characters while fishing off the jetty at Pearl Avenue. Many of those characters still call him friend today. A church service will be held at a later time due to COVID restrictions and his wishes. His remains were cremated and will be thrown into the ocean off of Alexander Avenue, Cape May Point, at a time that suits the family. There will be one hell of a party to celebrate his life! So, as his life of 96 years has passed, we know he would say, "Auf Wiedersehn, good-bye and good luck!" If you so desire, remembrances can be sent to Luther Memorial Lutheran Church, 401 Erial Road, Blackwood, NJ 08012. Kelley Funeral Home 125 Pitman Ave. Pitman, N.J. 08071 856-589-6308

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Published in South Jersey Times on Mar. 28, 2021.