Willis, Eldon (1930-2018)

WILLIS, MERRILL, MAAKESTAD, LAKORE, KLEIN, WIESE, RODBERG

Posted By: Paul Nagy (email)
Date: 11/16/2018 at 18:52:04

Eldon Willis
July 15, 1930 - October 25, 2018

Eldon Willis, 88, of Forest City, passed away peacefully in his sleep at 5:00 P.M. on October 25, 2018.

Eldon, an only child, was born in Forest City to Naldy and Ada (Merrill) Willis on July 15, 1930. He received his early education at Madison Township Country School #2 and graduated from Forest City High School. Baptized and confirmed at the United Methodist Church, he remained a lifelong member. He served his country in the Army with the 439th Engineering Battalion Communications Division in Korea. On Sept. 2, 1950, he married Olina Maakestad from Leland at the West Prairie Lutheran Church in rural Leland. The young couple immediately moved to the Willis farm one-mile South of Forest City and welcomed four children into their lives, Mark, David, Joan, and Carol.

Eldon had a passion for farming and purchased his first equipment at his father’s farm sale. He did not wish for anyone to ever say he was given anything in life. He started farming fulltime at age 15. In time, he bought the family farm and several more pieces of farmland and non-tillable high ground for cattle. Making good use of his resources, he raised row crops, had a cow calf herd, and a laying hen operation. His young friends who knew he loved to work long, hard days often called him “the machine.” He constantly instilled in his children the value of hard work and loved to say that “working hard did not hurt us one bit.” He prided himself in planning ahead.

Eldon retired from farming after sixty years at age 75. After taking his first fishing trip north with his older cousin, Duane Lakore, he enjoyed fishing his entire life, and they continued fishing together for over seventy years in Minnesota, Canada, and Alaska. Eldon and Olina enjoyed camping with their young family and purchased the very first Winnebago Camper, which John Hanson, his neighbor, Gerald Bowman, and a fifteen-year-old neighboring farm boy, Ron Haugen, built in Eldon’s corncrib alleyway. In addition, Olina and Eldon loved gardening. Indeed, Eldon continued gardening right up to 2017 and was well known for arriving in town with the back of his truck full of sweet corn, fresh garden vegetables, and fruit for his friends.

After his first heart attack at age 44, Eldon started golfing and became a regular at the Forest City Country Club every Thursday for many decades. At age 50, Eldon and Olina started escaping the harsh Iowa winters, bought numerous Winnebago motorhomes, and spent time in Mission, Texas. Indeed, he continued spending his winters in Texas through 2017, visiting his two daughters and grandchildren there. While at home in Forest City, he enjoyed stopping by the Forest City Farmers COOP, Richardson Tire Shop, and in later life his two coffee groups at Sid’s and Hardees. Involved in many clubs and civic causes, he served on the Farmers COOP Board for many years, and Olina and he held caucuses at their kitchen table during election years. In addition, always believing in helping his community, region, and state, he would take time to mentor young people on becoming more efficient at farming and better at life.

Eldon was preceded in death by his parents, his wife, Olina (1985); his son, Mark (2005); and second wife, Carole Rodberg (2010). He is survived by his children: David, and his fiancée, Bennie Gallardo, Joan, and her husband, Steve Klein, and Carol, and her husband, Ronnie Wiese; nine grandchildren; and eight great grandchildren with two more on the way.

Visitation will be at the Cataldo Schott Funeral Chapel from 5:00 to 7:00 P.M. on Thursday, November 8, 2018. Funeral Services will be held at 10:30 A.M. Friday, November 9, 2018, at the First United Methodist Church of Forest City, Iowa, with Pastor Les Green officiating. Burial will follow at the Madison Township Cemetery with Military Honors performed by the Forest City American Legion Honor Guard Post #121.

Cataldo Schott Funeral Home, Forest City, Iowa, 2018.

Winnebago Obituaries maintained by Cheryl Siebrass.
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