Wessels, William Heye

William Heye Wessels, 102, of Anamosa, died Thursday, June 16, 2011, at the Anamosa Care Center. Services will be held at 1 p.m. Monday, June 20, at St. Paul Lutheran Church in Anamosa. The Rev. Eugene Schipper will officiate at the service. Friends may call starting at noon Monday at the church. Interment will be at Riverside Cemetery in Anamosa.

Surviving are many nieces and nephews; and sisters- and brothers-in-law, Max (Irene) Arthur of Marion, Bertha (Ray) Finn of Anamosa and Gloria McCord of Anamosa.

He was preceded in death by his parents; his wife, Mildred; five sisters, Helen Gabeire, Marie Anderson, Grace Gilcrest, Anna Scheele and Edna Schmidt; and two brothers, Rinie and George Wessels.

William Heye Wessels was born Jan. 3, 1909, in Macon, Neb., the son of Gearhart Sr. and Anka (Reinder) Wessels. William and Mildred Arthur were united in marriage on June 29, 1935, in Dubuque, Iowa. In his younger years Bill received his pilot's license and enjoyed flying while he worked as a Civil Air patrolman and ran the Marion airport. The couple lived in Center Junction, where Bill operated a portable milling service and Wessels Feed dealership. In 1968, the couple moved to Anamosa, with Bill retiring from the feed business several years later.

Bill was a member of the Lutheran Church for more 70 years and the Masons. He enjoyed fishing, hunting, trapping, golfing, dancing, and roller-skating with Mildred.

William was a loving son, husband, brother and uncle. With no children of his own, Bill had a very special relationship with his nieces and nephews and will be missed dearly by them.

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