Leland Winegarden

LELAND WINEGARDEN

Deep River

Leland Winegarden, 91, of Deep River, passed away peacefully Monday morning, Feb. 1, 2016, at the Montezuma Nursing and Rehabilitation Center. Funeral services will begin at 10:30 a.m. Friday, Feb. 5, at Calvary Lutheran Church in Deep River. Burial will be held in Golden Rod Cemetery in Deep River. Visitation will begin after 2 p.m. Thursday at Holland-Coble Funeral Home in Montezuma with the family present from 5 to 7 p.m. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Calvary Lutheran Church in Deep River. Holland-Coble Funeral Home of Montezuma is in charge of arrangements.

Leland Warner Winegarden, the son of Phillip and Helen (Warner) Winegarden, was born on Feb. 15, 1924, on the kitchen table on their farm east of Deep River in Dayton Township, Iowa County, Iowa. He attended Dayton Center Rural School until 1938 when the family moved to Deep River and his father bought T.H. Connell Hardware Store. Leland graduated from Deep River High School in 1942. After high school graduation, Leland joined the U.S. Navy as a naval aviator and was discharged on Christmas Day, 1942. Leland then enrolled in the Iowa State College, Ames, for engineering. He later joined his father at Winegarden Hardware and was a plumber and an electrician for the remainder of his life.

Leland married nurse Norma Grant at the Methodist Church in Des Moines, on April 4, 1948. They lived above the hardware store and raised their three children, Marsha, David and John. Norma died of cancer in 1977. Leland married Lois Wiedemeier-Widmer on Aug. 18, 1978, at the United Church in Deep River. To this union, Jennifer Lynn was born. The couple did a lot of traveling and visited each of the continental 48 states, Alaska, Canada and Europe. They attended many sports events of their children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Leland was a member of the Calvary Lutheran Church in Deep River. He was a 70-year member of the Morrison-Schrader 296 American Legion and the last surviving World War II veteran living in Deep River. He was active in the community serving as president of the Deep River Telephone Company when fiber optics and cable TV were installed, a city council member and mayor when the sewer system was installed and for a time served as fire chief of the Deep River Fire Department. At the age of 65, Leland and Lois built a new home with the help of their sons.

Leland leaves behind his best friend and wife, Lois; his children, Marsha (James) Reitzler of North English, David (Maggie) Winegarden of Iowa City, John (Sue) Winegarden of Fairfax and Jennifer (Merle "JR") Rugg of North English; his stepchildren, Teresa (Neal) Huedepohl of Conroy, Neil (Sharon) Widmer of Deep River, Myron (Tina) Widmer of Deep River, Philip (Angie) Widmer of North English, Curtis Widmer (Rosa Sondag) of Van Wert and Stephen (Angie) Rauch of Kalona; grandchildren, Spencer, Scott, Ryan and Nicholas Reitzler, Kristine, Kathryn and Nathan Winegarden, Molly Wright, Kelly Hall, Luke and Tyler Winegarden, Anne Audo, Jaidyn and McKenna Rugg, Amy McKibben, Chad Huedepohl, Emily Hoefing, Camarie Widmer, Andrew and Weston Widmer, Chase Widmer and Alec and Cecil Rauch; numerous grandchildren in-laws; 21 great-grandchildren; and a brother, James (Jeannette) Winegarden of North Liberty.

He was preceded in death by his wife, Norma; his parents, Phillip and Helen Winegarden; sister, Jean; brother-in-law, Charles Montross; and an infant brother, Stanley.