Afton Wittick

Afton Joy (Lutz) Wittick, 85, was born in Leon, Iowa, on June 20th, 1940, and passed away peacefully on February 23rd, 2026, in Ankeny, Iowa, surrounded by loved ones.

Afton was the daughter of Forrest Lutz and Freda Melson. She attended Des Moines schools and worked several jobs, including managing Tony’s Lounge, where she met Walter James Wittick Jr. Afton and Walter (Jim) Wittick married on June 27th, 1981. She was known to be kind, generous, classy, and stylish. She loved traveling, learning about history, and documenting memories. She enjoyed baking raspberry pies, spending time with family, and collecting dolls and angels. She gave to the ARL and cared for multiple pets, including cats and her beloved dog, Patty Cake. Afton was a longtime member of the Marquisville United Methodist Church.

Afton is survived by her husband, Walter (Jim); children, Stephen (Linda) Erickson, Calista (James) Everly, and Greg (Anastacia) Wittick; sisters, Joyce Bears and Judy Kenny; half-sister, Carla Lutz; half-brother, Herbert Lutz; 8 grandchildren; 7 great-grandchildren; several nieces and nephews; and great-nieces and great-nephews.

She was preceded in death by her mother, Freda Lutz; father, Forrest Lutz; stepfather, Dwain Hoover; great-grandson, Ezra Erickson; great-niece, Kaily DeFino; and brothers-in-law, Bobby Bears and Jack Kenny.

A funeral service will be held on 11:00 a.m. Friday, February 27, 2026 at Hamilton’s near Highland Memory Garden. Family will greet guests from 10:00 to 11:00 a.m. also at the funeral home followed by burial at Pine Hill Cemetery. Family and friends are welcome to attend to honor and celebrate Afton’s life.

The family would like to extend a sincere thank you to SunnyView Care Center and UnityPoint Hospice for their compassionate care.

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