Passing of Mr. Alvin Muilenburg, C.P.O.

Passing of Mr. Alvin Muilenburg, C.P.O.

Follows is the notice and funeral time for Mr. Muilenburg. On a personal
note, I had the honor to work with Mr. Muilenburg for the past 31 years. His
care and dedication to his patients was an inspiration to me as a prosthetist.
 From 1959 to 1974 I was also one of those patients. Mr. Muilenburg fit my
first prosthesis when I was 7. He will be missed by me and many others in
the field. Earl Fogler, C.P.
 
ALVIN L. MUILENBURG
 
ALVIN L. MUILENBURG, BELOVED HUSBAND, FATHER, AND GRANDFATHER WAS BORN MAY
13, 1920 IN EDGERTON, MINNESOTA. A SUDDEN STROKE TOOK HIS LIFE. HE DEPARTED
THIS LIFE PEACEFULLY ON TUESDAY JULY 5, 2005. HE LEAVES TO CHERISH HIS
MEMORY, HIS LOVING WIFE OF SIXTY TWO YEARS, LORETTA; HIS DEVOTED SON TED
MUILENBURG OF HOUSTON; TWO CARING DAUGHTERS GRETCHEN WOELLNER OF AUSTIN, TEXAS AND
LORAL HAUS AND HUSBAND DON OF HOUSTON; GRANDCHILDREN LORRELLA COBB, JOHN
WOELLNER, MELISSA AND MAX MUILENBURG, ROBB AND CORY HAUS; AND SISTER LOIS JENSEN OF
BLOOMINGTON, MINNESOTA. AL GRADUATED FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA IN
1943 WHERE HE MET HIS WIFE LORETTA. HE WAS A CHARTER MEMBER OF MEMORIAL DRIVE
LUTHERAN CHURCH AND AN ACTIVE MEMBER OF THE SEABROOK SAILING CLUB SINCE 1953.
AS A LIEUTENANT IN THE U.S. NAVY DURING WORLD WAR II, HE SERVED ON THE NAVY
TANKER USS SEPULGA IN THE PACIFIC THEATER FOR TWO AND A HALF YEARS. IT WAS
THERE THAT HE SAW THE NEED FOR MORE IMPROVED ARTIFICIAL LIMBS. HE WAS
ENCOURAGED BY A SHIPMATE DOCTOR WHILE THEY WERE STANDING WATCH TOGETHER NIGHTS.
AFTER THE WAR HE WORKED TWO YEARS AT MINNEAPOLIS ARTIFICIAL LIMB COMPANY. IT
WAS A TEXAN THAT WAS INSTRUMENTAL IN GETTING HIM AND LORETTA TO MOVE TO TEXAS.
HE FOUNDED MUILENBURG PROSTHETICS IN 1947. TODAY MUILENBURG PROSTHETICS AND
ORTHOTICS CONTINUES TO PROVIDE PROSTHETIC CARE IN THE GREATER HOUSTON AREA
AND AROUND THE WORLD. HE ACHIEVED ALL THE HIGHEST AWARDS FOR HIS
ACCOMPLISHMENTS IN PROSTHETICS AND WAS A MUCH SOUGHT AFTER LECTURER AND TEACHER. HE WAS
AN INSTRUCTOR IN PROSTHETICS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA-LOS ANGELES AND
AT BAYLOR UNIVERSITY-HOUSTON. IN 1995 THE AMERICAN ACADEMY OF ORTHOTISTS AND
 PROSTHETICS AWARDED HIM THE TITUS-FERGUSON AWARD WHICH IS A LIFETIME
ACHIEVEMENT AWARD AND IS THE HIGHEST LEVEL OF RECOGNITION BESTOWED UPON AN
ACADEMIAN. IN JUNE 2000 THE TEXAS CHAPTER OF THE AMERICAN ACADEMY OF ORTHOTISTS AND
PROSTHETISTS NAMED ITS TOP STUDENT RESEARCH AWARD AFTER HIM, “THE ALVIN
MUILENBURG AWARD FOR ACHIEVEMENT IN PROSTHETIC AND ORTHOTICS RESEARCH.” HE
AUTHORED OR CO-AUTHORED SEVERAL PAPERS AND PUBLICATIONS INCLUDING “A MANUAL FOR
BELOW KNEE AMPUTEES” AND “A MANUAL FOR ABOVE KNEE AMPUTEES.” THROUGHOUT HIS
CAREER, HE CONTINUED TO ATTEND HIS FAVORITE AMPUTEE/PROSTHETICS CLINICS AT THE
INSTITUTE FOR REHABILITATION AND RESEARCH (TIRR) AT THE HOUSTON SHRINERS
HOSPITAL FOR CHILDREN. HE WILL BE MISSED AND REMEMBERED BY ALL WHO WERE
FORTUNATE ENOUGH TO KNOW THIS TRULY GREAT MAN WHO LIVED HIS LIFE CARING FOR AND ABOUT
THE WELLBEING OF OTHERS:
 
Viewing: Thursday July 7 2005 6:30-8:30
Waltrip Funeral Home
1415 Campbell Rd.
Houston, Texas 713-465-2525
 
Funeral Friday July 8, 2005 11:00 AM
Memorial Drive Lutheran Church @ Gessner
Houston, Texas 713-468-9443
 
Interment at Memorial Oaks Cemetery at 2:00PM
 
Remembrances can be given to the Shriners Hospital Houston
6977 Main Street
Houston, TX 77030-3701
Telephone 713-797-1616
Fax 713-797-1029