WEYBRIGHT, Richard F. (1921-2016)

WEYBRIGHT

Posted By: Karon Velau (email)
Date: 6/8/2017 at 22:19:28

Richard Fredrick Weybright
(January 18, 1921 - January 30, 2016)

Richard Fredrick Weybright was born January 18, 1921 in a farm house in Elkhart County, IN to William Melvin and Bessie (Beck) Weybright. He attended school in Elkhart and graduated from high school there. He was also raised with his aunt and uncle, Leatha and Frank Hopkins. He joined the Army in September of 1942. He received his radar repair training at Fort Knox Kentucky. He later went to Ft. Hood Texas. He was sent to Hawaii and from there went by ship to the Philippines and was stationed on the Island of Lete. His military honors included the Philippine Liberation Medal, Good Conduct and Victory Medals and Adriatic Pacific Theater Medal. He later sponsored a little girl named Catherine Donare on the Island of Lete. At the end of the war in 1946 he was sent back to the states. Following his discharge he returned home to live with his mother in Moline, IL. who had married Rodney Baker. He went to work for John Deere and attended college for two years on the G.I. Bill at A.I.C in Davenport, IA. Following graduation he went to work for the Post Office.
He married Laura Betcher and they had two sons, Richard Allen and Jeffrey Lynn. They were later divorced. In 1976 he retired from the Post office at the age of 55. He traveled some with a friend Wally Bankston. On a trip to Israel in 1977 he met Darlene Thompson and they were married on November 11, 1978. They lived on a farm in Iowa and traveled in the summers and spent the winters in Lorida, Florida for 32 years where he was a member of the Lorida Church of The Brethren. They later moved to Moline, IL and then to Indianola, IA.
He enjoyed fishing, watching baseball and other sports, reading and traveling. They visited all the states and 27 countries. Richard passed away Saturday, January 30, 2016 at the Indianola Good Samaritan Society Nursing Home. Richard was cremated and burial of cremains will be held at the Rock Island National Cemetery, Rock Island, Illinois at a later date.
He is survived by his wife, Darlene of Indianola; son, Jeff (Diane) Weybright of Moline, IL; daughter-in-law, Cheryl Weybright of Rock Island, IL; grandsons, Michael (Brieana) Weybright of Moline, IL and Thomas (Lisa) Weybright of Washington, IL; great-grandchildren, Addison, Kellan, and Audrey Weybright; step-children, Stanley (Eileen) Thompson of Indianola and Kathryn (Roger) Carey of Silvis, IL; step-grandchildren, Kelly and Lauri Carey, Brian Thompson, Stephanie Cater; step great-grandchildren, Jessica and Jill Cater, Nathan and Adam Thompson and Ryan Carey; cousin, Connie Walker of Lebanon, IN. He was preceded in death by his parents, William and Betty Weybright and step-mother, Vera; and son Richard Weybright. This memorial is provided by Overton Funeral Home, 501 West Ashland Ave., Indianola, Iowa, [http://www.overtonfuneral.com/]