JOHN R. "Bob" WHELAN

SMITH, WHELAN, BREITBACH, RINIKER, LUDOVISSY, HANCOCK

Posted By: Mary Durr (email)
Date: 3/5/2003 at 14:48:40

John R. Whelan

Telegraph Herald - Thursday, February 27, 2003

John R. "Bob" Whelan, 82, of 1411 N. Grandview Ave., died at 7:10 p.m. Monday, Feb. 24, 2003, at ManorCare Health Services.

Services will be at 10 a.m. Saturday at Nativity Catholic Church. Burial will be in Mount Calvary Cemetery. Friends may call from 3 to 8 p.m. Friday at Behr Funeral Home, 1491 Main St., where there will be a parish wake service at 4 p.m.

Mr. Whelan was employed as a switchman and yard master with the Milwaukee Road Railroad for 43 years until his retirement.

He was born on July 3, 1920, in Dubuque, son of Frank J. and Salome (Smith) Whelan. He married his wife of 60 years, Doris B. Breitbach, on Jan. 23, 1943, at Immaculate Conception Catholic Church, North Buena Vista, Iowa.

He was a member of Nativity Parish. He enjoyed fishing, hunting, playing cards and dancing.

Surviving are his wife, Doris B. Whelan; three daughters, Joyce A. (Donald) Riniker and Kathleen D. (Dale) Ludovissy, both of Dubuque, and Sandra J. (Kevin) Hancock, of Asbury, Iowa; two sons, J. Pat (Linda) Whelan, of Fayette, Iowa, and Mark E. (Paulette) Whelan, of Muskogee, Okla.; 24 grandchildren; 17 great-grandchildren; and three brothers, Richard (Jan) Whelan, of Madison, Wis., Thomas Whelan, of Junction City, Ore., and Jerome Whelan, of West Allis, Wis.

He was preceded in death by two daughters, Patricia and Jean; three sons, Steven, Daniel and Robert Michael; a grandson, Scott Riniker; and a sister-in-law, Rosie Whelan.

Memorials may be given to Area Residential Care, 1170 Roosevelt St. Extension, Dubuque, Iowa 52001.