Dedication to Ike Liedorff

George I. Liedorff

Ike was born January 11, 1918, in Hartland Township, Ohio, on the family farm. He graduated from New London School.

Ike played semi-pro baseball for the Wakeman Redcaps. Ike served in the CCC (Civilian Conservation Corp) Camp in Delaware, Ohio. He was a member of Norwalk First United Methodist Church.

Ike served in the South West Pacific during WWII as staff sergeant for the Army’s 436 Signal Construction Battalion. He retired in 1981 from GTE after 35 years as supervisor of outside construction.

Ike led the organization of the Local 986 IBEW Union as a charter member and served as president and business manager. As a life member of America Legion Post #41, Ike served on the Degree Team, the Teen Club, and the Military Burial Detail. Ike also served as liaison between the V.F.W. and the Lefty Grove League.

 Ike coached little league baseball in Norwalk for 55 years and 12 years in Florida. He was instrumental in expanding the Lefty Grove Little League to include the Teener League. The Lefty Grove League honored Ike in 2006 by naming the Teener League Field the “Ike Liedorff Field.” The sportsmanship award is now called the Ike Liedorff Award. Ike served as a Norwalk city councilman for 14 years and on the Civil Service Commission for 10 years. He was honored as Norwalk's Man of the Year in 1960.

Ike devoted many years as a Boy Scout leader and as a Girl Scout board member. He was a past president of the Norwalk High School Boosters' Club and volunteered over 3,000 hours at Fisher-Titus Medical Center, having been selected to the Fisher-Titus President’s Club this year. Ike’s hobbies included baseball, gardening, and golfing. He greatly enjoyed spending winters in Florida after his retirement and loved reading to his grandchildren and watching them play sports and umpire baseball.

Ike passed away Sunday, November 29, 2009, at home with his family at his side. He will be greatly missed.