Lowell Wanttie

LOWELL WANTTIE Lowell Duane (Dewey) Wanttie was born on June 14, 1933, the youngest of four children born to Albert and Hilda (West) Wanttie in Ludden, North Dakota. Lowell attended Van Meter Township rural elementary schools and graduated from Ellendale, North Dakota High School in 1951. Dewey served in the U.S. Army from January 1954 to 1956 as a radio/teletype operator and played part time in the military band during his fourteen months in Japan. Lowell spent one year farming in Frederick, South Dakota area. In 1957, Lowell married Shirley Bauer and the couple moved to Minneapolis. To this union, they were blessed with two children Carole and Daryl. Dewey coached Little League while Daryl was growing up. Dewey loved any sport that had a ball or a puck. He was well informed and enjoyed conversations on any sporting event. Dewey worked for eight years for International Harvester and another thirty-two years for the Chrysler Corporation where he retired as a maintenance man. His hobbies were working with metal and woodcrafts. He was called a ?Jack of All Trades? for his ability to fix most any machine or make a tool for a job when called for. He took great pride in designing and creating a strawberry picker. He also enjoyed hunting, but later turned to photographing the wildlife instead. In 1981, he married Marlys (Keller) Wilson. In 1997, the couple retired and moved to the Alexandria area. They were members of Bethesda Lutheran Church where Dewey was active in the choir. He was also served on the church council and various committees. Dewey and Marlys were blessed to have eleven active years of retirement before he started experiencing health problems. Lowell died on August 19, 2011 at the age of seventy-eight years. Lowell is survived by his wife Marlys, daughter Carole (Jeff) Helmin, son Daryl (Linda) Wanttie, grandchildren Michael Helmin, Cody Wanttie and Brittany Wanttie, stepsons Scott (Lisa) Wilson and Brian (Laura) Wilson, step grandchildren Joshua, Hannah, Jack and Beck Wilson, sisters Shirley (Allan) Walker and Lorraine Jenkins, and many nieces and nephews. Lowell was preceded in death by his parents, brother Melvin Wanttie, sister-in-law Martha Wanttie and a brother-in-law Raymond Jenkins. A funeral service was held on Saturday, August 27, 2011 at the Bethesda Lutheran Church with Rev. Don Reisig officiating. Mark Graf, Doug Tatge and Julie Peterson provided music. Interment was in the Appleton Cemetery in Appleton, Minnesota with Rev. Marilee Bergerson officiating. A word of thanks goes out from the Wanttie family to the Douglas County Hospice team who provided much love and excellent care. Anderson Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements. www.andersonfuneral.net