WILLERT, Earl E. 1910-2000

WILLERT, SCHMOLKE, POPHAM

Posted By: County Coordinator
Date: 2/17/2010 at 17:33:56

EARL E. WILLERT

ROCKFORD, IOWA - Earl E. Willert, 89, of the Ninth Street Chautauqua Guest Home, Charles City, Iowa, and formerly of Rockford, died Thursday (June 29, 2000) at the nursing home following a brief illness.

A funeral service will be held at 10 a.m. Monday at Zion Lutheran Church in Rockford, with the Rev. John Albrecht, pastor, officiating. Burial will be in Riverside Cemetery, Rockford.

Friends may call from 6 to 8 p.m. Sunday and one hour prior to the service at the church Monday. The Fullerton Schumburg Funeral Home, 302 W. Main Ave., Rockford, is in charge of the arrangements.

Earl Emil Willert was born Dec. 24, 1910, on the family farm in rural Rockford, the son of Emil and Martha (Schmolke) Willert. When Earl's father died, Earl left school early to continue the farming operation. On Aug., 19, 1930, he was united in marriage to Genevieve Popham at the Little Brown Church in Nashua.

Earl drove truck for a few years, hauling many different cargoes, even hauling for the Rockford Brick and Tile Company. He also worked for the Rockford Light Plant a few years. After these years in Rockford, Earl and Genevieve moved to spend most of their married life on a farm southeast of Rockford. To this union three daughters were born, Joan and twin daughters, Janet and Jeane. They retired in 1973 and moved to their new home in Rockford.

Earl and Genevieve were active members of the Zion Lutheran Church in Rockford. He served on the church board and was quite involved in the construction of the church building.

Earl was a man who was willing to tackle most any kind of job. He was appreciated in his neighborhood as the man with the corn sheller, welder and repair ability. After the many years on the farm, Earl became a handy man around town. Among the many things he repaired were garage doors, washing machines, radios and clocks. He also handled small construction jobs, built cabinets and tilled gardens. His family members appreciated his ability to fix almost anything. Earl enjoyed fishing trips, and those who took the trips with him would comment that Earl repaired anything that didn't seem to work at the cabin.

Earl spent the last eight months of his life in the Ninth Street Chautauqua Guest Home in Charles City, where Genevieve continues to reside.

Those thankful for sharing Earl's life include his wife, Genevieve of Charles City; three daughters and their husbands, Joan and Richard Moody of Waukon, Janet and Don Arndt of Hudson, Wis., and Jeane and Arnold Flessner of Waverly; one sister, Mrs. Clara Wilkens of Coralville; nine grandchildren; 16 great-grandchildren; and many other relatives and friends.

He was preceded in death by his parents.

Fullerton Schumburg Funeral Home, (515) 736-3311.

[Mason City Globe-Gazette; July 1, 2000]