PHILIP M. WESSELS

KOOPMAN, WESSELS, WILGENBUSCH, MCCARTHY, VANDERVAART, MARKUS, GOERDT

Posted By: Mary Durr (email)
Date: 7/16/2003 at 19:46:05

Philip M. Wessels

Telegraph Herald - Wednesday, June 11, 2003

EPWORTH, Iowa - Philip M. Wessels, 68, of 101 S. Center Ave., Epworth, died of an apparent heart attack at 10:08 p.m. Sunday, June 8, 2003, at Mercy Medical Center-Dubuque.

Services will be at 10:30 a.m. Thursday at St. Patrick's Catholic Church, Epworth, with the Rev. Raymond Burkle, officiating. Burial will be in St. Patrick's Cemetery, Epworth, where military rites will be accorded by the John White American Legion Post 650, of Epworth. Friends may call from 2 to 9 p.m. Wednesday at Reiff Funeral Home, Epworth, where there will be a wake service at 4 p.m.

Mr. Wessels was a tuck pointer and painter for Fred Jackson Tuckpointing. He took great pride in all the steeples he worked on in Dubuque County and the surrounding area. He also owned and operated Phil's Tap for 10 years.

He was born on June 5, 1935, in Dyersville, Iowa, son of Ralph and Martha (Koopmann) Wessels. He married Doris Wilgenbusch on Nov. 3, 1956, at St. Patrick's Catholic Church, Epworth.

He received his education in the Dyersville schools. He was a Marine Corps veteran, having served in the Korean conflict. He was a member of St. Patrick's Parish, Epworth, and the John White American Legion Post 650 of Epworth. He also was a retired volunteer fireman for the Epworth Fire Department.

Phil loved hunting, especially squirrel and deer. He enjoyed watching baseball. His grandchildren were the love of his life.

Surviving are his wife, Doris Wessels, of Epworth; five children, Mike (Julie) Wessels, of Epworth, Mark Wessels (and friend, Cora), of Dubuque, Judy (Ron) McCarthy, of Epworth, Amy (Tom) Vander Vaart, of Cedar Rapids, and Joe (Deb) Wessels, of Cascade; 12 grandsons and a granddaughter; a brother, David (Carol) Wessels, of Independence; two sisters, Doris Markus, of East Dubuque, Ill., and Nancy (David) Goerdt, of Earlville.

He was preceded in death by his parents.

A Philip M. Wessels Memorial Fund has been established.