Clarence Wempe

Clarence Wempe, age 89, of Halbur, Iowa, died early Wednesday, October 20, 2010, at St. Anthony Regional Hospital in Carroll. Mass of the Christian Burial will be celebrated at 10 A.M., Saturday, October 23, 2010, at St. Augustine Church in Halbur. The Celebrant will be Father Dale Reiff. Lector will be Dennis Rutten. Gift Bearers will be his sisters, Marita Buelt and Marian Niceswanger. Mass Servers will be Tim and Hannah Sibbel. Eucharistic Minister will be Joni Rutten. Casket Bearers will be David Buelt, Mike Sibbel, Jim Rutten, Allan Rutten, Alan Niceswanger, and Tim Wempe. Burial will be at St. Augustine Cemetery in Halbur with military honors conducted by the Breda American Legion. Friends may call at the Sharp Funeral Home in Carroll after 3:30 P.M. Friday. A rosary will be prayed at 4 P.M. Friday. There will be a Christian wake service at 7 P.M. Friday by St. Augustine Parish. Clarence was born on July 12, 1921, at Breda, Iowa, the son of Joseph and Mary (Reiff) Wempe. He attended St. Bernard School in Breda. He entered the U.S. Navy in August 1942 and served during World War II in the South Pacific aboard the USS Montpelier. He was honorably discharged in October 1945 at the rank of Machinist’s Mate Third Class. Clarence and Lorraine K. Sibbel were married on June 5, 1946, at St. Augustine Church in Halbur. The couple lived in Breda where Clarence was employed by the Buelt Hatchery and the City of Breda. He was also a member of the Breda Fire Department. In 1956 Clarence and Lorraine moved to the Joe Sibbel farm southwest of Halbur. Clarence retired from farming in 1984 and the couple moved to their home in Halbur. In retirement Clarence worked as the custodian for St. Augustine Parish for 19 years. He was a member of St. Augustine Parish and a 65 year member of the Breda American Legion. Clarence enjoyed gardening, flowers, and playing slow pitch softball in his younger years. Survivors include his wife of 64 years, Lorraine Wempe of Halbur; his sisters, Marita Buelt of Carroll, and Marian Niceswanger and husband Dennis of Carroll; brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law, John and Margie Sibbel of Halbur, and Ruth and Dick Rutten of Carroll; and by many nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents; his brothers, Donald Wempe and Vernon Wempe; a sister-in-law, Marion Wempe; brother-in-law, Ben Buelt; and by his parents-in-law, John and Kathryn Sibbel.

Clarence Wempe

July 12, 1921 - October 20, 2010