M. Duane Weltha (1934-2022)

WELTHA, TJERNAGEL, BORWICK, ARNOLD

Posted By: Ken Wright (email)
Date: 4/25/2022 at 08:41:38

Obituary for M. Duane Weltha
M. Duane Weltha, 87, of Marion, Iowa, died Monday, February 7, 2022. A memorial service celebrating Duane’s life will be held at 2:30 p.m., on Saturday, April 30, 2022, at Ascension Lutheran Church, located at 2210 Grand Avenue in Marion, where the family will greet friends and family one hour prior to the service on Saturday. A private inurnment will be held at Cedar Memorial Park Cemetery in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Murdoch Funeral Home & Cremation service in Marion is assisting the family.

Duane was born May 17, 1934, in Randall, Iowa, the son of Clarion and Julia (Tjernagel) Weltha. He graduated from Roland Consolidated High School, served as a Radio/Electronics Counter Measures operator and gunner on a B-36 bomber in the Air Force during the Korean war when he married Beverly Borwick in Roland. He graduated from Iowa State University with a BS in Mechanical Engineering, started his engineering career planning B-52 flight tests at Boeing in Wichita, Kansas, and then worked at Collins Radio Co. and Rockwell Collins for 34 years, in various engineering and management positions prior to retirement. He enjoyed solving challenging design, systems and process problems and creating practical, state of the art solutions to them. Duane helped solve challenging technical problems at other Collins locations. He holds equipment patents and was also interested in engineering processes.

Duane served on the Marion Independent School Board and was a charter member of Ascension Lutheran Church. He enjoyed his family, grandkids, great-grandkids, in-laws, fishing, snow skiing, boating, hunting, fixing things, and working on a computer.

He is survived by his wife, Beverly of Marion; daughter, LeAnn (Michael) Arnold of Marion; son, Kendon (Ranie) Weltha of Marion; grandchildren, Brenna (Matthew) Fall of Ely, Iowa, Shannon (Adam) Buchholz of Ankeny, Iowa, Lauren (Kevin) McGill of Grimes, Iowa, and Sara Bearrows (Tom Fernandez) of Palo, Iowa; great-grandchildren, Nile and Kellen Fall, Brooklyn, Nolan, and London Buchholz, Hannah and Maxwell McGill, and Henry Lockard; sisters, Charlotte Koenigsburg of Bemidji, Minnesota, Jean (Harold) Dole of Grundy Center, Iowa, Joan Rouse of Grundy Center, and Betty Lage of Roland, Iowa; brother, Lawrence Weltha of Texas; and numerous nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Clarion and Julia Weltha; sister, Lois Krebs; brothers, Reuben Weltha, William Weltha, David Weltha, and Dennis Weltha.

Memorials may be directed to Marion Independent School Foundation & Alumni Association or Marion American Legion Post #298.

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