Thank you, Dr. Vollrath

I first met Dr. Victor Vollrath and Isabelle Burnside Vollrath in April of 2012.  I could not believe my good fortune.  Dr. Vollrath, born in 1916, had grown up in Irvington and at age 95 he could still recall many events from his youth.  Furthermore, he and his wife generously allowed me access to his childhood photo collection.  Most of the images appeared on this site in April and May of 2012.

Victor Vollrath grew up at 218 South Audubon Road in a lovely Dutch Colonial Revival home.  His father ran a nearby grocery store.  His stories of Irvington were filled with tales of dogs, ponies, baseball, and cycling.  He could still recall his neighbors and one of them, Dr. Walter Kelly, inspired him to become a physician.  One of the most powerful stories that he shared involved his own mother, Thermina "Marie" Vollrath.  All five Vollrath boys served in World War II.  Dr. Vollrath told me, that with tears streaming down her face, his mother walked down to the Irving Circle Park on a snowy day and snapped a photo of the park.  She then had five snapshots developed and sent to each Vollrath son so they could have an image of home while they were fighting on the front.

Dr. Victor Vollrath's mother would have been undoubtedly proud of her son had she lived to see him serve as a physician to thousands of Indianapolis residents over a fifty year time span. She sadly passed soon after his return from the war.  Today I honor his memory and I am thankful that I had the opportunity to meet a local Irvington boy, who made a difference on this planet.  I dedicate this post to the memory of Dr. Victor Vollrath (1916-2013).  You may see images from his youth by clicking on the Vollrath Family link below.

Victor Vollrath with his loyal dog, Fite, in 1927