Roy George Birkenstock
Born: September 4th, 1894
Died: January 5th, 1953
Obituary
Roy G. Birkenstock, 57, of Burlington route 3, widely known Burlington sports figure and former businessman, died Monday at 9:05 pm Mercy hospital.
He had been in failing health for the past year and entered the hospital as a patient on Christmas day.
Birkenstock was widely known for his baseball and golf performances.
In 1921 he entered professional baseball and played with two teams in the North Dakota league. During his season with that loop he was credited with that loop he was credited with a no-hit, no-run game.
He was sold to the Minneapolis Millers and after spring training with that club, moved to St. Joseph, Mo., where he played for 2 ½ years.
His pitching performance at St. Joe was so successful that he moved to Springfield in the Three-I loop but developed a sore arm in 1926. In the late 1920s, he played for Burlington in the Mississippi Valley League.
In the golf field, Birkenstock was a former city champion and on three occasions won the state park course tournament. He was a familiar competitor in tourneys throughout a wide area of Iowa and Illinois.
Birkenstock also made a name for himself in the softball field, pitching the West Burlington shops team to 24 wins in a 25-game season.
He maintained his interest in baseball throughout his life and served as a member of the board of directors of the Burlington Indians club.
In 1926 he joined George Fahlgren to start the B&F Cigar store in Burlington. About seven years ago he sold out his interest in the store and was then engaged in a real estate business for a time.
A native of Burlington, he was born Sept. 4, 1895, the son of George and Anna Flynn Birkenstock. He married the former Marjorie Holsteen, who survives.
He was a member of St. Mary’s Catholic church at Dodgeville and Elks lodge at Burlington.
In addition to his widow, he is survived by four sons. Dan, Tom, and Dick, at home, and Jack, an airforce captain in Europe; a grandson; a sister, Mrs. Elsie Friedel of Burlington; a brother, James of New York, and several nieces and nephews.
Services will be Thursday at 9 am in St. Patrick’s Catholic Church. Father Edward J. Shepherd will be the celebrant of the mass. The cortege will leave Prugh’s Chapel at 8:45. Burial will be in Aspen Grove Cemetery. Rosary will be recited at Prugh’s Wednesday at 7 pm.