Bernard Wessel

Bernard Wessel, age 75, of Arcadia, Iowa, died Friday, September 11, 2009, at his residence in Arcadia of an apparent heart condition. Mass of the Christian Burial will be celebrated at 1:30 P.M., Tuesday, September 15, 2009 at St. John Church in Arcadia. The Celebrant will be Father Joe Dillinger. Con-celebrants will be Father Jack Frerker and Father Richard Remmes. Lector will be Pat Vogl. Gift Bearers will be Tony and Barb Vogl. Mass Servers will be Ashley and Kelsey Blum. Eucharistic Minister will be Richard Ricke. The Arcadia American Legion, Ehlers-Gerken Post # 694 will form an honor guard for the funeral mass. Honorary Pallbearers will be Butch Schmitz, Randy Beyer, Bob Erps, and Denny Staiert. Casket Bearers will be Wayne Eich, Steve Koch, Ed Vogl, Tony Vogl, Tim Vogl, Ron Sundrup and Jim Wadkins. Burial with military honors by the Arcadia American Legion will be at St. John Cemetery in Arcadia. Friends may call at the Sharp Funeral Home in Breda after 5 P.M. Monday where there will be a Christian Wake Service at 7 P.M. by St. John Parish. Mr. Wessel was born on January 9, 1934, at Bartelso, Illinois, the son of August and Eugenia (Beer) Wessel. Benny spent his early years in Bartelso where he attended grade school before graduating with the Class of 1952 from Aviston High School. Following high school he enlisted in the United States Army and served in Germany at the end of the Korean War before his honorable discharge in March of 1956. On June 20, 1959, Bernard was married to Nancy Frerker at St. Mary Catholic Church in Carlyle, Illinois. The couple moved to Arcadia in 1969 and spent their entire lifetime there. Benny worked for Ron Sundrup Trucking for nearly 30 years until his retirement in 1997. He served on the Arcadia Fire Department where he was Fire Chief for two years. Benny had a great sense of humor and enjoyed reading, playing cards, St. Louis Cardinal’s baseball, and spending time with his family. Benny was a member of the Arcadia American Legion and St. John Parish. Survivors include his wife, Nancy Wessel of Arcadia, his children, Marty Wessel of Palestine, Texas, and Dona Wadkins and her husband Jim of Centralia, Illinois; three grandchildren, Andrew, Ryan, and Jessica; two sisters, Sister Francis Wessel SSND of Springfield, Missouri, and Evelyn Land of Boston, Mass; brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law, Fr. Jack Frerker of Olympia, Wash, Dick Frerker and his wife Pat of Germantown, Illinois, and Lynda Frerker of Long Beach, California, step brothers-in-law and step sisters-in-law, Jim Danehy and his wife Marge of Illinois, Mary Berndsen and her husband Bob of Illinios, and Peg Hellige and her husband Rich of Illinois. He was preceded in death by his parents.

Bernard Wessel

January 9, 1934 - September 11, 2009