Duane Keith Wellendorf

Ashton, Iowa Duane Dewey Wellendorf, age 84 of Ashton, Iowa died Friday, October 24, 2008 at the Community Memorial Health Center in Hartley, Iowa. Mass of Christian Burial will be 1:00 p.m. Tuesday, October 28, 2008 at St. Marys Catholic Church in Ashton with Fr. John Vakulskas and Fr. Timothy Hogan as celebrants. Burial will follow in the St. Marys Catholic Cemetery at Ashton, IA. Visitation will be Monday, October 27th from 2:30 " 8:00 p.m. with the family present from 6:00 " 8:00 p.m. at the Jurrens Funeral Home in Ashton. There will be a rosary at 4:00 p.m. and a prayer service at 7:30 p.m. Duane Keith Wellendorf was born on May 23, 1924, the son of Frank and Elsie (Thies) Wellendorf in Ashton, Iowa. He grew up in Ashton and attended St. Josephs Catholic School. In 1943, he enlisted in the Navy and was in the military until 1946. Dewey served as an aviation mechanic in the Pacific Theater. On April 28, 1948, he was united in marriage to Elaine Hatting at the St. Marys Catholic Church in Ashton. From 1950 to 1960, Dewey owned a jewelry store in Rock Rapids, Iowa. He and his wife then moved to Minneapolis, MN and he worked for Honeywell as an engineering technician building and testing the guidance gyroscopes for the series of Apollo spacecrafts from 1960 to 1970. Dewey then managed a Mobile home park in Minneapolis until 1986 and then he and his wife moved back to Ashton. Dewey was a member of the St. Marys Catholic Church and the American Legion in Ashton. He enjoyed garage sales, playing cards, visiting with family and friends, collecting eagles and Big Ben clocks and playing Santa Claas for forty-five years, making many children happy. Dewey was also a very avid skier and taught skiing and roller skating at one time. Dewey is survived by his wife of sixty years, Elaine Wellendorf of Ashton; one sister and one brother, Delores Gerken and Douglas (wife Eilleen) Wellendorf both of Sacramento, CA; several nieces, nephews and cousins. He was preceded in death by his parents; two brothers and sister-in-law, Donald and wife Lois Wellendorf and Dale Wellendorf ; one sister and brother-in-law, Darlene and husband Harold Honkomp; and brother-in-law, Willis Gerken.