Wolf, James 1918-2009

WOLF, KONZ, KILKER, KOCH, LETSCHE

Posted By: Mary Holub, volunteer (email)
Date: 1/23/2009 at 16:04:58

From: Le Mars Daily Sentinel, January 23, 2009

James Wolf, 90, of Remsen, died Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2009, at Happy Siesta Health Care Center in Remsen.

James Wolf was born June 14, 1918, at rural Remsen, the son of Peter and Lillian (Konz) Wolf. James was raised and educated in the Remsen area, where he was a farm laborer prior to his military service. On April 20, 1942, he entered the U.S. Army. On Aug. 9, 1942, he married Margaretta Kilker at Fort Ord, Calif. He served in the European Theater under General Patton during World War II, having participated in the Sicilian Campaign, Tunisian Campaign, Italian Campaign and Fedala-Casablanca Campaign. He was awarded the Silver Star, EAME Medal and the Purple Heart with an Oak Leaf Cluster and was honorably discharged on Dec. 15, 1944.

He then returned to the Le Mars area where the couple began farming and fed beef and hogs. Margaretta died March 22, 1974. On Nov. 25, 1977 he married Arlene (Koch) Letsche at Remsen. They farmed near Le Mars until retiring and moving into Remsen Dec. 6, 1980. He had been a resident of Happy Siesta since June 27, 2008.

He was a member of St. Mary Catholic Church in Remsen, Post 3328 V.F.W. and was a member of the past Luxembourg Brotherhood.

Survivors include his wife, Arlene of Remsen; four sons and their wives, Dennis and Margaret of Le Mars, Eugene "Maynard" and Karen, Michael and Liz, all of Remsen, Wayne and Diane of Waco, Texas; five daughters, Peg Wolf of Oregon City, Ore., Diane and her husband Kenneth Phelan of Hillsboro, Ore., Mary Ellen and her husband David Silverberg of Sioux City, Judy and her husband Mike Zalesky of La Paz, Bolivia, Christine Wolf of Aurora, Colo.; one stepson, Anthony and his wife Debra Letsche of Inyokern, Calif.; one stepdaughter, Jean and her husband Richard Recker of Brunsville; 18 grandchildren; seven stepgrandchildren; seven great-grandchildren; 11 great-stepgrandchildren; one brother, Lloyd and his wife Phyllis of Remsen; and one sister, Mrs. Sylvester (Evelyn) Miller of Sioux City.

He was preceded in death by his parents; one daughter, Nancy Wolf; one granddaughter, Marissa Wolf; one sister, Mercedes and her husband Donald Kilker and a brother-in-law, Sylvester Miller.

Funeral services will be at 10:30 a.m. Saturday at St. Mary Catholic Church in Remsen with the Rev. William McCarthy officiating. Burial will be in Calvary Cemetery in Le Mars. Friends may call anytime after 2 p.m., today (Friday). There will be a parish rosary at 3 p.m. and a vigil prayer service at 7:30 p.m., all at the Fisch Funeral Home in Remsen.

Casketbearers will be Stan Silverberg, Christian Zalesky, Ryan Wolf, Alec Wolf, Jason Wolf and Stacy "Phelan" Simon.