Paulsen, Wayne LeRoy (1927 - 2024)

PAULSEN, IRWIN, PATTEE, CHAPMAN, MADSEN, CAMBLIN, WALTER, WEST, JACOBSEN

Posted By: Denise Wurner (email)
Date: 2/11/2024 at 14:12:11

Name of deceased: Wayne LeRoy Paulsen

Aged: 96 yrs, 8 mo, 26 days

Residence: Peace Haven Retirement Home, Walnut, Pottawattamie County, IA

Born: April 26, 1927; Avoca, Pottawattamie County, IA

Died: Jan. 21, 2024; Denison, Crawford County, IA

Funeral services: Wednesday, Jan. 31, 2024; Trinity Lutheran Church, Avoca, IA; burial was in the Graceland Cemetery, Avoca, IA

Survived by: Daughters, Janice Irwin of Sunbury, OH and Jackie Paulsen of Bellevue, IA; sisters, Norma Pattee and Marilyn Chapman, both of Avoca, IA, Sharon Madsen of Omaha, NE, and Beverly Camblin of Laguna Woods, CA; brother, Gary Paulsen of Council Bluffs, IA; grandsons, Heath Paulsen of Bellevue, IA and Henry Paulsen of Avoca, IA; 3 stepchildren; great-grandchildren: Hayli, Saydi, Ava, McKenna and Cruz; nieces; nephews; other family members and friends

Predeceased by: Parents, Emma (nee Jacobsen) and Leroy Paulsen; first wife, Mary Ann; second wife, Bobbie; son, David; brothers, Ned and Chris Paulsen

Education: Attended Pleasant Ridge country school, Madison County, IA, and Avoca (IA) High School graduating with the Class of 1944

Religious affiliation: Active member of Trinity Lutheran Church, Avoca, IA; he served in numerous ways including as a Sunday School teacher, council member, choir member, confirmation instructor, and as Lay Assistant Pastor beginning in 1986 and serving for many years. One of his responsibilities was visiting the sick and elderly members of the congregation; he loved to reminisce with them and hear their stories of earlier years.

Military service: no information provided

Marriages: (1) Mary Ann Walter; Aug. 23, 1946; Ida Grove, IA; they divorced in 1981 (2) Bobbie West; 1987; location not provided

Employment: Farmer; after retiring from farming, Wayne drove a school bus for the Avoca (IA) schools for several years.

Hobbies/Interests: Was an involved member of the community: he was a past president of the East Pottawattamie County Farm Bureau, and also served on the Rural Electric Cooperative board in Harlan for years; he served on the East Pottawattamie County Fair Board for several years, including as president; he helped promote the annual CROP Walk which was held each fall. In 1993, Wayne was honored by the Avoca Business and Professional Association with their Outstanding Citizen Award. He (on guitar) and Bobbie (on the accordion) were members of the Good Timers Country and Gospel band for numerous years, entertaining at churches, rest homes and other gatherings. Through his efforts, the Country Music Festival was held in Avoca, IA, for many years; he also was a major part in the restoration of the Opera House in Walnut. Wayne loved to garden, and always had an extensive vegetable garden; he had a strong interest in genealogy, researching his family's origins and making scrapbooks with photos and stories about them.

Sources: pauleyjones.com; Ancestry.com, U.S., World War II Draft Cards Young Men, 1940-1947; Ancestry.com, Iowa, U.S., Marriage Records, 1880-1947; Ancestry.com, Iowa, U.S., Marriage Records, 1880-1947