Louis Wessels

NEW VIENNA, IOWA Louis C. Wessels (92) of New Vienna died peacefully at his home on May 16, 2017. Visitation will be held 3 – 8 p.m. Friday, May 19, 2017, at Kramer Funeral Home, 750 12th Ave SW in Dyersville. A parish vigil service will be held at 4 pm and Edward W. Lake VFW Post 7736 will hold a service at 7 pm. Visitation will continue Saturday from 8:30-9:30 am at Kramer Funeral Home prior to funeral services. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 10:00 a.m. Saturday, May 20, 2017, at St. Boniface Catholic Church, with burial in the church cemetery. Rev. John O’Connor will officiate. Louis was born November 21, 1924, the son of William and Mary (Oberbroecking) Wessels. He married the love of his life, Kathleen (Kay) Freking on September 25, 1950. Louis served in the Army in World War II stationed in the Philippine Islands. He was a lifetime member of New Vienna Edward W. Lake V.F.W. Post 7736. Louis and Kay enjoyed 66 years of marriage and farmed the Freking Century Farm where they raised their four children. After retiring from farming, they moved to New Vienna where Louis became a Director of the New Vienna Mutual Insurance Company, a position he held for 20 years. Louis was a member of St. Boniface Parish where he served a number of years on the School Board. He was also a member of the Holy Name Society and the New Vienna Area Historical Society. Louis and Kay loved to travel, enjoying trips to Europe and Hawaii as well as many other states in the USA. Louis also enjoyed wood working, trout fishing, and family get-togethers. In their younger years Louis and Kay loved to dance and play cards at parties with friends. Louis especially enjoyed feeding the birds in his backyard and taming robins with raisins every spring. Louis is survived by his wife Kay of 66 years, daughters Sandra (Leo) Hogan of Worthington, and Mary Beth (Dr. Mark) Odell of Muscatine; sons Bill (Betty) Wessels of Dyersville, and Jeff (Kris) Wessels of Magnolia, Texas; 10 grandchildren, 2 step grandchildren, 11 great grandchildren and 5 step great grandchildren; his brother Leon (Eileen) Wessels of Dyersville; sisters-in-law Ruth Wessels of New Vienna, Lillian Wessels of Farley, and Jan (Len) Wiest of Littleton, CO; and brother-in-law James Freking of New Vienna. He was preceded in death by his parents, Kay's parents, and brothers Earl, James, Fred (Mary Ann) Wessels; and in-laws: Juliana (Anthony) Boeckestedt, Bernard Freking and Rita Freking.