July 2001

Obituary Archive

Wright County

Including Belmond, Clarion, Eagle Grove and surrounding areas

Belmond Independent
214 E. Main St.
Belmond, IA
50421-1122

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107 2nd Avenue N.E.
Clarion, IA
50525-0153

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314 West Broadway P.O. Box 6
Eagle Grove, IA
50533

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The NCIGS Wright County Archive

Lee Wachenheim

July 10, 2001

Lee George Wachenheim, 76, died on Monday, July 2, 2001, at his home in Belmond.

Funeral services were held on Friday, July 6, at the Belmond United Methodist Church, with Pastor Mike Druhl officiating. Military rites were conducted by the Belmond Honor Guard at the church. His body was cremated.

Special music was provided by Pastor JoAn Skyrme, soloist and Maxine Jenison, organist. Ushers were Harold Baker and Bill Walrod. A memorial service will be held on Saturday, July 14, at the Ahlgrim Funeral Home in Elmhurst, Illinois with Rev. Ermalou Roller officiating.

Lee, the son of Walter and Marie Bochum Wachenheim, was born on February 22, 1925 in Chicago, Illinois. He grew up there and graduated from Chicago's Lane Technical High School in 1943.

He entered the U.S. Army in 1943 and served in the European Theater with the 488th Engineers Light Pontoon Company during World War II. On April 15, 1946, he received his honorable discharge.

After military service, Lee worked in a foundry in Chicago for a short time before enrolling at Iowa State Teachers College in 1947. He played football and wrestled for ISTC. Lee was a member of the 1950 ISTC national championship wrestling squad. He played all but 2 minutes and 9 seconds of every ISTC football game over a three-year period. Lee graduated from ISTC on June 2, 1951. He was inducted into the University of Northern Iowa Athletic Hall of Fame in 1999.

On June 3, 1951, Lee was married to Virginia "Ginny" Patterson in Chariton. They made their home in Corning where Lee taught, coached, and starting the wrestling program in 1954. Later in 1954, they moved to Guttenberg where he started the football program.

Lee received his masters degree in Educational Administration from the Colorado State College of Education in Greeley in 1954.

In 1955, Lee and Ginny moved to Elmhurst, Illinois where he would teach and coach at the York High School for 33 years. While at York he taught physical education and driver education and became director of the driver education program. He coached football, wrestling and sophomore baseball and retired in 1988.

After retirement, Lee and Ginny lived in West Des Moines for a time before moving to Belmond in 2000 to be close to their daughter.

Lee was a member of the Belmond V.F.W. and the Phi Delta Kappa educational fraternity. In addition to being a UNI Athletic Hall of Fame inductee, Lee was named a Little All-American in collegiate football in 1950, to Who's Who in American Colleges and Universities in 1951, and to Who's Who in American Education in 1954.

Lee was a long time member of the Christ United Methodist Church in Elmhurst and belonged to the Valley United Methodist Church in West Des Moines.

Lee was preceded in death by his parents.

Survivors include his wife, Virginia "Ginny"; one son, James Mark and his wife, Kimberly of Oxford, Ohio; one daughter, Lee Ann Waltzing and her husband, John of Belmond; four grandchildren, Scott and Sarah Waltzing and Gretchen and Hannah Wachenheim; one brother, James N. and his wife, Mary of Libertyville, Illinois; and two nieces, Mary Elise and Anne Myer and her husband, Evan.
©Belmond Independent 2001

Dorothy M. Higgins

July 12, 2001

Dorothy M. Higgins, 83, of Belmond, died on Wednesday, July 11, 2001, at the Belmond Care Center.

Funeral services will be held on Saturday, July 14, at 1:30 p.m., at the St. John Lutheran Church in Belmond, with burial in the St. Olaf Cemetery. Visitation will be held on July 13, from 4-7:00 p.m., at the Tenold Funeral Home and at the church one hour prior to services.
©Belmond Independent 2001

Richard G. Schmidt

July 31, 2001

Richard G. Schmidt, 79, of Latimer, died on Wednesday, July 25, 2001, at the Hampton Health Care Center in Hampton.

Funeral services were held on Saturday, July 29, at the Alexander Reformed Church in Alexander, with Rev. Philip A. Arnold officiating. Burial was in the Alexander Cemetery in Alexander.

Richard was born at Alexander on December 25, 1921, to Rick R. and Anna (Blau) Schmidt. He graduated from the Alexander High School in 1939.

Richard was united in marriage to Cora Steenhardt on May 25, 1945, at Latimer. He later married Mary Pals on May 28, 1992.

Richard served in the Army from 1942-1945, he was stationed in the Philippines where he was wounded and received the Purple Heart. He farmed for 25 years north of Latimer until moving to Latimer in 1973. Prior to retirement Richard worked as a heavy machine operator for Franklin County.

Richard was a member of the American Legion Hansen-Have Post #645 of Latimer, and a life long member of the Alexander Reformed Church.

Richard was preceded in death by his parents: his first wife, Cora in 1992; a brother, Walter Schmidt; and a sister, Leona Barrick.

Survivors include his wife, Mary Schmidt of Latimer; three children and their spouses, Dick and Theresa Schmidt of Omaha, Nebraska, Gary and Christi Schmidt of Delmar, Maryland and Rozann and Paul Lasseter of Athens, Alabama; five grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren.
©Belmond Independent 2001

Dorothy C. Bell

July 31, 2001

Dorothy C. Bell, 80, died on Friday, July 27, 2001, at the North Iowa Mercy Health Center in Mason City.
Funeral services were held on Tuesday, July 31, at the Dugger Ewing Funeral Home in Belmond, with Pastor Will Hunsaker officiating. Interment was in the Mt. Hope Cemetery near Dows.

Music was provided by Janice Pals, organist and Marilyn Janssen, vocalist. Casket bearers were Archie Bell, Jr., Gene Bell, Chuck Bell, Robert Hodge, Roger Bell, Fred Bell, Jim Bell and Larry Thayer.

Dorothy, the daughter of John and Anna Marie Roline Senenfelder, was born on April 6, 1921 in Grundy Center. She great up in Grundy Center, Swea City, and Dows. Dorothy graduated from the Dows High school in 1939.

Dorothy was united in marriage to Archie Bell, Sr., on January 24, 1942 in Blue Earth, Minnesota. They made their home in Dows for over 50 years, where they together raised nine children.

She was preceded in death by her parents; husband, Archie, Sr., in 1988; one great-granddaughter; four brothers; and five sisters.

Dorothy is survived by three daughters and two sons-in-law, Doris and Robert Hodge of Iowa Falls, Viola Claude of Dows, Karen and Larry Thayer of Belmond; six sons and daughters-in-law, Archie, Jr. and Jeannie Bell of Madrid, Roger and Cheryl Bell of Springview, Nebraska, Gene and Mary Bell of LaClade, Idaho, Fred and Pam Bell of Belmond, Chuck and Cindy Bell of Dows and Jim and Cindy Bell of Latimer; 39 grandchildren; and 24 great-grandchildren.
©Belmond Independent 2001