Roland Salzmann

Roland "Ron" Salzmann, age 89, a resident of Viola Lake for 35 years died July 30, 2010. Ron was born on April 30, 1921 in Chicago, Illinois to Fred and Marie Salzmann. Meticulous and talented, even as a child, Ron grew up to be an accomplished professional musician and a lover of Jazz. Playing the harmonica in high school led to the group that later became the "Harmonicats" of national fame. Ron also played the guitar and bass with which he traveled the United States with a band at age 17. Not relying on the feast and famine of a musicians career, he became a tool and die maker. His precise ways elevated him in that field also. He was entrusted with maintaining the telescope at Yerkes Observatory in Williams Bay, Wisconsin and another in New Mexico. He worked with astronauts to materialize the machines they dreampt of and sent out into space. He did all of this with just a high school education. I asked him once, "Why don't you take a course or two relating to astronomy?" His answer was, "Why should I take a course on what I'm already doing?" Ron retired very early into a life of fishing and hunting, mainly because he felt Uncle Sam was digging too deeply into his pockets. Ron came out of the woods long enough to meet a very special lady, Vivian Culbertson, a widow. They married and were together for 35 years, only her passing on December 23, 2009 separated them. I wish them love, as they enter into a new experience, safe, in the arms of our Lord. Private services will be held at a later date.