Robert Weddell
February 09, 2009
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Service Details
Bob Weddell, 87, of Des Moines, died unexpectedly at his home on Monday, February 9, 2009. Bob was born on July 15, 1921 in Decatur, Illinois. He was a graduate of North High School in Des Moines.
Bob married the former Betty Hutchinson on July 10, 1942, in Princeton, Missouri. He served in the United States Army and was honorably discharged on January 31, 1946.
He worked for Pittsburgh – Des Moines Steel (PDM) for forty years and managed the Clive plant. He was a longtime member of the All Saints Catholic Church.
Bob enjoyed spending time with his family, wildlife, trains and cooking.
He is survived by Betty, his wife of 66 years, his three daughters: Sharon Weddell of Citrus Heights, CA, Joan Weddell of Overland Park, KS and Janelle Hanneman of Sioux City, IA; nine grandchildren; twelve great grandchildren and two great great-grandchildren. Bob was preceded in death by his parents; three sisters and five brothers.
Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 10:00 a.m., Friday, February 13, 2009 at All Saint’s Catholic Church in Des Moines, with burial to follow at Glendale Cemetery. Visitation will be 6 – 8 p.m. on Thursday, February 12, 2009 at Hamilton's near Highland Memory Gardens, 121 NW 60th, in Des Moines.
www.HamiltonsFuneralHome.com
Phil and Chris Ramsey
03/06/2009
Betty:
We just talked to Janelle at the book store in Sioux City and learned that the Lord called Bob home on February 9th. My mother passed away Februrary 4th, and the whole ordeal is kind of bitter/sweet. I'm happy she is now with her Heavenly Father, but sad that we can no longer tap into her loving support and encouragement. I know you have to feel something like that as well.
Bob was an amazing guy. From the first time I met him I knew he was a special kind of person. The way that he passed away was also special and befitting.
I'm sorry we didn't know about the funeral, but our thoughts and prayers are with you.
May God Bless. We'll keep in touch through Janelle.
Love,
Phil
Mine Ikeda
02/12/2009
We traveled with Bob and Betty to many places and always had fun. I remember some in particular like the time we visited the Gene Autry Museum in Southern California when an episode of Sesame Street was being filmed in Spanish, featuring the Muppets. We went to Solvang, a Danish village in Santa Barbara; to Mendocino, a picturesque art colony on the Northern California coast; and to San Francisco, where we dined on Japanese food with our son Mike and his family. Like all other kids, our grandkids took an immediate liking to Bob and Betty. Bob was fascinated watching my very young grandson eat raw fish!
Our last trip took us to Fairfield, California, home of the Jelly Belly factory. Bob and Betty saw Ronald "Dutch" Reagan's likeness shaped out of jelly beans!
Some of the best times we had were in Carmel, California, another beautiful and unique town next to the Pacific Ocean. Bob and Frank loved to sit in front of Clint Eastwood's Hogbreath Inn and watch the pretty girls parade by. Bob also discovered through the alleys a fantastic breakfast place once owned by John Madden, former coach of the Oakland Raiders.
For many years we met in Tucson and Mesa, Arizona where Bob and Betty spent busy winters with Joan and the kids. We also met in Placerville at Sharon's.
In addition to getting together with the family in Clovis, another hightlight of their stay was when Bob would slip out early in the morning and help Frank irrigate our crops on the ranch.
Visiting the Reagan library in Simi Valley, California, was a very special trip where Bob found a book written by President Reagan that mentioned Bob's father, Curley Weddell, who worked with "Dutch" in Iowa.
When Bob and Betty first came to Clovis back in the 1950's, they brought their daughters Sharon, Joan and Janelle and niece Sondra. He kept telling the girls on the way out west that when they got to Clovis, Frank was going to feed them nothing but fish heads and rice!
We will really miss Bob but will remember him with love. We will treasure the many special memories we shared and the wonderful time we spent together. Love, Mine
Frank Ikeda
02/12/2009
My name is Frank Ikeda and I first met Bob in Nanking, China about three months before the official V-J (Victory over Japan) Day. The unofficial V-J Day was August 15, 1945. Bob had just come out of Burma where the skirmish ended in Mgithyena. That was a rough campaign and most of our troops marched in on foot in the Ledo Road. I was a staff sergeant in the U.S. Army, working in the Military Intelligence Service.
Bob and I were in a group of a about a dozen soldiers who flew into Canton, China after unofficial V-J Day. We arrived a few days too early because the Chinese First Army had not reached the city to occupy it. We were quartered at the Oikwon Hotel on the 13th floor and could see the Japanese soldiers walking around, some with their swords flashing. We didn't leave the hotel until the Chinese Army came and took over the city. We stayed in Canton until the officialV-J Day on September 2, 1945. In our free time, we searched for the cheapest booze that turned out to be native vodka, which we purchased for about 50 cents a pint bottle. In order to "nurse" that bottle along and get the biggest bang for our half a buck, we drank it straight without ice or water!
Bob and I were nearly broke every payday because we were both married before going overseas and sent most of the money back to our wives in the states. For night life, we would occasionally check out the "taxi" dances which flourished when the GI's were in town.
After the official V-J Day, Bob flew back to Calcutta, India and I flew to Shanghai, China, to the first boat home. I was the first American of Japanese descent that Bob had ever met and we formed a lifelong bond and friendship. In the years after the war, we got together many times. I have a vivid memory of the time Bob and Betty were in Clovis when our American Legion post was having its annual St. Patrick's Day dinner/dance and we went together to party. When the dancing began, Bob danced with many of our ladies and charmed them all with his Irish "blarney." He also loved to talk about he and I won the war single- handed. He was always ready to volunteer us for any later military action so we go there and "take of it."
I could write a book about the many places we visited and all of the good times we shared but I don't want to make this too long. We will never forget Bob for the man he was and for our friendship over these many years.
My deepest sympathy and love for Betty and the family.
Elna (Georg) Witt
02/11/2009
Betty and family, My prayers are with you as you are going through this terrible time.
Georg