Wilson, Charles E.

Charles E. Wilson, 83, of Belle Plaine, died Wednesday, Jan. 25, 2012, at the Anamosa Care Center. Visitation will be from 1 to 3 p.m. Friday, Feb. 3, at Hrabak Funeral Home, Belle Plaine. A family-led memorial service will immediately follow at 3 p.m.

Charles was born on April 15, 1928, in Tama County. He was the son of George A. and Rose (Staelens) Wilson.

Charles grew up on a farm along the Benton and Iowa County border during the Great Depression and World War II era. As a boy, he developed a lifelong love of the outdoors. He fished the Iowa River and hunted most of his life. His first paying job as a young adult was selling ice cream to farm families on a route outside of Belle Plaine. He worked at Amana Refrigeration for almost 35 years and retired in 1990. He stayed busy as a carpenter and a roofer when he wasn't at the factory. Chuck was well known around town and had a reputation for doing anything for a friend.

He married Dolores Birch on April 25, 1949. They had six children together and were married for 39 years, until they divorced in 1988.

He is survived by his children, Cindy (Ken) Clark of Collins, Connie (Dan) Engel of Belle Plaine, Steven (Becky) Wilson of Tucson, Ariz., Norman (Linda) Wilson of Winterset, Chris (Barb) Wilson of Anamosa, and Neil Wilson of Scottsdale, Ariz.; 13 grandchildren; 18 great-grandchildren; five sisters, Bernice Papesh, Josephine Arens, Virgina McVay, Dorothy Walton and Elnora Schwab.

He was preceded in death by his brother, George Wilson; and three sisters, Edna Kouba, Arilla Prichard and Irline Vileta.

Online condolences may be left for the family at www.hrabakfuneralhome.com under “obituaries.”

In lieu of flowers, memorials will be given to the Belle Plaine Area Ambulance Service.

Published in The Gazette Feb. 1, 2012.