Gaile Allen Wetrich (1956)

WETRICH

Posted By: Pat Hochstetler (email)
Date: 12/6/2015 at 13:55:03

Earlham Echo
Earlham, Iowa
Thursday, January 26, 1956

Penn Center

Word has been received of the death of Mr. Gaile Wetrich of California, formerly of this community. He passed away Sunday morning at ten minutes past six. He had been seriously ill for the past several weeks. Mr. Gail Leeper of Earlham left by plane Tuesday to attend the funeral services set for Wednesday forenoon.
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Earlham Echo – Earlham, Iowa
February 2, 1956

Gaile Allen Wetrich, second eldest child of Rube and Mayme Wetrich was born October 25, 1913 on a farm in the Penn Center rural community near Earlham. His older brother, Wayne and baby sister, Ardith and his father, Rube have preceded him in death.

Gaile’s early life was like that of any farm youth assisting his parents in the farm chores until just before his tenth birthday when he was stricken with the disease then known as infantile paralysis. His grade school and high school days were interrupted by many trips to the hospital, many of them for periods of as long as three months. To many this might have been termed a handicap, but Gaile did not seem to consider it so, for his strong heart, keen mind, determination, will to win and love of life brought him to believe that a handicap is only a handicap when you accept it as such.

Gaile’s strong will to take part in everything that was physically possible brought him myriads of friends. He is remembered as having played a harmonica solo at his eighth grade graduation from Penn Center school; singing solos at high school plays and assemblies and speaking at National sales conventions.

During his high school years in Earlham high school, Gaile was known not as the boy in the wheel chair, but as a student with a keen mind and a buoyant interest in everything about him. Teachers and students alike respected Gaile; girls and boys vying for the honor of carrying Gaile and his wheel chair upstairs and down or wheeling him from class to class. Gaile was elected president of his Senior class and even after suffering a broken hip in a fall that year, his determination to see things through, saw him flat on his back on a stretcher on graduation night when he received his diploma in 1934. Gaile always had goals and met them, his high school graduation being one of his early goals which he met even in the bleak winter cold and snow of the Midwest winters.

Gaile arrived in Whittier, California with his parents and brother, Lyle and three sisters in 1935 where his parents set themselves up in business on Whittier Blvd. Gaile, wanting to be independent, and with the aid of a close friend, went into the direct selling field with household wares. The business was a short lived one and not to lucrative but it gave a clue to what was to be Gaile’s life work, Sales Training and Organizational Work with People.

Gaile realized he was handicapped physically, but turned that stumbling block into a building stone by training himself, with the aid of his many friends to become a watchmaker and jewelry repairman. For several years he operated his growing business from his home and progressed to the point of opening a real store. His first place of business was in the old Miracle Mile on Whittier Blvd. From there he moved to up-town Whittier where he conducted his business for several years until after the war. All of his spare time was occupied in developing his knowledge in the electronic field and with the activities of the “Indoor Sports”, an organization of physically handicapped people. This later developed into activities with a similar organization called the “Rebounders.”

During World War II, Gaile maintained his business in Whittier and his familiar smiling face was always a reminder to those who had the good fortune to know him that there was still happiness in the world. One of Gaile’s greatest joys and at times almost his full time activity, was to operate a “Phone Patch”, a combination short wave radio and phone circuit for anyone who wanted to talk to their loved ones overseas where only short wave radio could reach them.

Gaile left up-town Whittier and moved his business down onto Whittier Blvd. where for years he brightened the lives of a host of new friends and business associates who came in contact with him there.

Gaile was a member of the East Whittier Lions Club and during this time he had the honor and distinction of a Five Year perfect attendance record.

After fifteen years in the jewelry business, Gaile found himself in his true environment, that of helping others to over come their own handicaps, both mental and physical. Gaile entered into the direct selling profession again whole heartedly, and through his endless efforts and hard work, developed himself into a real leader of men. In spite of his small physical body; a true giant among people. Gaile’s continued belief in God, and that all in God is good, made it possible for him to go through life without seeing bad in any living soul. It was God’s will and Gaile’s good fortune to be the one to add a little to lives of everyone who came in contact with him directly or indirectly. The story of his determination to prove that one’s only handicaps are the ones they create in their own mind, has been an inspiration to untold thousands of people in all walks of life through his many talks and articles written about him.

Gaile has been given the wonderful privilege of attaining in 42 short years more than most of us accomplish in many, many more years, Gaile’s one burning ambition was to climb a mountain; an ambition just now fulfilled.

Sunday, Lord’s day, January 22, 1956, Gaile left his faithful wheel chair and attained that goal.

Yet we will all miss Gaile’s physical being and the radiant love he had for everyone, but the wonderful afterglow of the remembrance of him will live forever in the hearts of all the little children of all ages for whom he always had a kind word and happy smile, and tell them “It’s a wonderful World.” He knew that to be true, because he lived it. He was truly one of the Dear Hearts and gentle people. Our friend………Gaile.

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