William John Weiss (2014)

WEISS, SOFENRIDER, LEWISON, BENGSTON, HIEMSTRA, WIGNALL, SCHMIDT, REILLY, OHLAUG, FAULKEN

Posted By: Shirley Keating (email)
Date: 4/24/2014 at 19:23:23

Winterset Madisonian
Winterset, Iowa
Wednesday, April 23, 2014

WILLIAM JOHN WEISS, WINTERSET, IOWA

William Weiss, 89, died Wednesday, Apr. 9, 2014, in Winterset, Iowa, from multiple myeloma. He donated his body to Des Moines University College of Osteopathic Medicine.

William John Weiss was born on Apr. 1, 1925, the son of William and Catherine (Sofenrider) Weiss at Britt, Iowa, where he graduated from high school. He came from a very musical family. He played the cornet, winning several state awards. He played at the Surf Ballroom in Clear Lake, Iowa, and was invited to go professional in the Big Band circuit, but was drafted. He married Barbra Lewison on Aug. 4, 1944. He was honorably discharged from the United States Navy in 1946. When he returned to the states, he made the decision to be a farmer with his father-in-law, Alvin, and raise a family. He never played the cornet again, but listened to music every single day. He was given the opportunity to work for Farm Bureau Ins. He moved the whole family to Spirit Lake, Iowa, and for 23 years worked his way up to Agency Manager for two counties. He was one of the top producers in the company and won many awards and trips overseas. After he retired, they spent the next nine winters at South Padre Island, where all his family would visit. He loved fresh air and being outdoors. After 50 years of marriage, Barb died Sept. 15, 1994. He married Ethel Bengston Hiemstra on Sept. 21, 1995. Ethel died May 7, 2011.

He then came to live with his daughter, Debra and Bill Wignall in Winterset. He fell in love with Winterset and was very happy here. He had a lot of very nice new friends, and loved going to the casino where he had even more friends. He lived each day to the fullest and had a very good life.

Preceding Bill in death were his parents; five brothers: Edward, Jacob, Joseph, Clement and John; two sisters: Philomena and Pauline; and his two wives, Barb and Ethel.

Survivors include his children: Julie Schmidt (Steve) of Sunnyvale, Calif., Gregory Weiss (Kathy) of Mahopac, NY, Debra Wignall (Bill) of Winterset; step children Shanda Reilly (Larry) of Aurelia, Iowa, and Janilyn Ohlaug (David) of Brainerd, Minn.; two grandchildren; five step grandchildren; a great-grandchild; six step great-grandchildren; his brother, Frank, and his sister, Catherine Faulken, of Mason City, Iowa; a sister-in-law, Marie Weiss of Mason City; and many other relatives and friends.