Gwin, Wendall 'Bud'

Wendall “Bud” Gwin, 77, of Victor and most recently Brooklyn Community Estates, passed away Saturday, Sept. 17, 2011, after a courageous 8-year battle with multiple myeloma. A funeral service will be held 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, Sept. 21, at St. James Lutheran Church in Victor, with Pastor Michael Kolesar officiating. Burial will be in Victor Memorial Cemetery. Friends may call at Smith Funeral Home in Victor from noon to 8 p.m. Tuesday, with the family present from 5 to 8 p.m.

Wendall Raymond Gwin was born Aug. 25, 1934, at the family home near Guernsey to Arnold and Marie (Mullen) Gwin. He was raised in the Guernsey and Deep River areas and graduated from Deep River High School in 1952. Bud married Ruth Meyer, his high school sweetheart, on Sept. 5, 1954, at St. John's Lutheran Church in Victor. They made their home in Cedar Rapids until he was drafted into the U.S. Army, in which he served from 1957-1959, 18 months of that time in Germany. After his return home, they moved to Victor, where they have resided for 52 years. Bud worked at Amana Refrigeration and then went on to Bud's DX Station at I-80 Victor exit, which he owned and operated, and Kinze Manufacturing, from where he retired in 1997.

Bud and Ruth liked to travel and he enjoyed sports, especially fast pitch softball. He played on the Guernsey and Victor teams for many years. He followed major league baseball, St. Louis Cardinals being his favorite. Bud also enjoyed following his children's and grandchildren's activities.

Those left to mourn his passing are his wife of 57 years, Ruth Gwin of Victor; his daughters, Valerie Hansen of Victor and Sherri (Mark) Seaton of Deep River; and his grandchildren, Chase Hansen, Ashley Seaton and Shawn Seaton. Also surviving are his siblings, Marilyn (Magee) Baustian of Deep River, Evan (Shirley) Gwin, Linda (Terry) Bryan and Jan (Bill) Bushong, all of Montezuma, and Nita (Chris) Stanford of Williamsburg; sister-in-law, Marlene Gwin of Sigourney; brothers-in-law, Wayne (MaryAnne) Meyer of rural Williamsburg, Kenneth (Elaine) Meyer of Fairfax and Donald (Judy) Meyer of Willard, Mo.; and 29 nieces and nephews.

Bud was preceded in death by his parents; a brother, Wayne Gwin; brother and sister-in-law, Larry and Gaye Gwin; and nieces, Wanda Gwin, Melinda Showalter and Missy Hendricks.

Memorials may be directed to the HLV Scholarship Fund or to St. James Lutheran Church in Victor.

Published in The Gazette Sept. 20, 2011.