Eugene Francis Wiltgen

WILTGEN BRUNSMAN KLEIN

Posted By: Connie Swearingen (email)
Date: 11/9/2010 at 22:27:51

Sioux City Journal
23 May 2010

SIOUX CITY -- Eugene Francis Wiltgen, 83, formerly of Sioux City, passed away Sept. 12, 2009, at his home in Carlsbad, Calif., where he and his wife, Lois have lived since 1978.

Memorial services will be 10 a.m. Saturday, May 29, at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Alton, Iowa, with his high school classmate, Monsignor Richard Zenk officiating. Please share your memories of Gene by going to his online guestbook at http://tinyurl.com/efw-guestbook

Gene was born on May 17, 1926, in rural Alton. He was the son of J. Peter and Agnes (Brunsman) Wiltgen. He was raised in Alton where he graduated from St. Mary's Academy. Gene was unable to deliver his high school graduation valedictorian address because he was inducted into the U.S. Army Air Corps as an aviation cadet in May 1944. He was honorably discharged in November 1945.

Gene married Lois Klein on June 2, 1948, at St. Joseph's Church in Granville, Iowa. Together they had four daughters, of which three survive him, Kathleen, Christine and Joni.

Gene started his engineering career in 1946 as a land surveyor for Brown Engineering Company working extensively throughout the Midwest. In 1959, at the age of 33, he entered Iowa State University and graduated in 1963 with a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering. Gene joined Iowa Public Service and the family moved to Sioux City. He was a registered professional engineer and worked in many states, including Iowa, Minnesota, South Dakota, Nebraska and California. Until 1982, he worked for public electrical utilities including Iowa Public Service, Nebraska Public Power District, and San Diego Gas and Electric. In 1983, Gene began his international engineering career and went on to specialize in fiber optic communications. His worldwide business travels included England, Sweden, Mexico, Columbia, Australia, Japan, China, South Korea, Vietnam, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Oman, Egypt, Syria, Israel and Morocco, with his final trip to Siberia, Russia, in 2005.

In 2005, Gene received a diagnosis of myelodysplagia, a bone marrow disease for which he received 51 blood transfusions. Despite his fatigue, he continued to enjoy family gatherings, especially those involving his four grandchildren, as well as gardening, home repair, stamp collecting and research into the Wiltgen family history.

Gene's survivors include his wife, Lois of Carlsbad, Calif.; daughters, Kathy Davidson of Los Gatos Calif., Chris Klein of San Diego Calif., and Joni German of Livermore Calif.; sons-in-law, Carl Davidson and Bob German; grandchildren, Matt Hahn of Santa Clarita Calif., Jen Hahn of Philadelphia Pa., and Sam and Jack German of Livermore; and sister, Vivian Kane of Puyallup Wash.

Gene was preceded in death by his parents; and eight brothers and sisters; and followed by sister, Grace Noltze.

The family wishes to thank San Diego Hospice for its loving care.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to a scholarship established at Iowa State University by his daughter, Kathy. Mail-in gifts can be sent to Eugene F. and Lois E. Wiltgen Memorial Scholarship Fund, 2505 University Blvd., P.O. Box 2230, Ames IA 50010, or given online at www.foundation.iastate.edu/Wiltgen