REETZ, Wayne 1919-2016

REETZ, POWERS, STEWART

Posted By: County Coordinator
Date: 2/16/2016 at 15:39:21

Wayne Reetz

Birth: March 13, 1919
Death: February 13, 2016

Service: Monday, February 22, 2016 at Hauser Funeral Home

Wayne Reetz, gently passed into the arms of Jesus, February 13, 2016, one month prior to his 97th birthday. He was born in Charles City on March 13, 1919.

A funeral service will be held at 1:30 p.m., Monday, February 22, 2016 at Hauser Funeral Home in Charles City. Pastor Paul Phillips from Gospel Lighthouse in Floyd will officiate. Burial will be held at Riverside Cemetery in Charles City.

A visitation will be held from 1:30-3:30 p.m., Sunday, February 21, 2016 at Hauser Funeral Home in Charles City and will continue one hour prior to the service on Monday at the funeral home.

Wayne served in the Civilian Conversation Corps prior to being drafted into the Army during World War II. He was assigned to the 603rd Tank Destroyer Battalion and crossed the Atlantic Ocean on the Queen Mary. The 603rd was then assigned to the 6th Armored division under the command of General George S. Patton and landed shortly after the Battle of Normandy on Utah Beach. Wayne was wounded right after the Liberation of Nancy, France, on his way to the Siegfried Line. He was transferred from the hospital in England to Edenburg, Indiana, at the Wakeman General Hospital, that specialized in limb repair for rehabilitation where he also worked as a trained medic and Ward Sargent.

Wayne met and married Irene (Powers) Stewart, a mother of three, and together they had three more children. He worked for Ford Garage in Columbus, Indiana and then at Arvin's Industry for 23 years in the Tube Bending Shop. Wayne was offered the job of foreman of the Tube Bending Division but desired to move back to Iowa, so he declined the position. In the early 70's he was able to move back to Charles City, where he was able to care for his mother, Eva (Herman) Reetz, until her death in 1994. At the age of 71, he married a mother of four, Leona Clark, and lived outside of Charles City by their selves and celebrated their 24th Wedding Anniversary at Chautauqua, where they resided for the last year.

Wayne was stepfather of Etta (Howard) Curtis of Columbus, Indiana, Clarence Stewart, Pearly Gates of Heaven, and Lillian Tannenbaum of Tampa, Florida; father of Judy (Ervin) Linde of Rockford, Daniel (Chong) Reetz of Columbus, Indiana, and Vickie (Donald) Turner of Thornfield, Missouri; stepfather of Karen Breiholz of Fort Dodge, Lori (Mike) Lange of Gilmore City, James (Betty) Clark of Hendersonville, and Tennessee, Dennis (Karen) Clark of Bethpage, Tennessee; and grandfather and great grandfather of too many to county.

He was preceded in death by his mother and father, Eva and William Reetz, sister, Marie (Reetz) Wilson, brother, William V. Reetz, and step-son, Clarence Stewart.

Source: Hauser Funeral Home website