George Wedel

George Wedel was a proud man, of such great strength, character and intellect. He was a member of our Greatest Generation, who strove for perfection in all that he did throughout his life. George's life was one of so many great accomplishments, but none greater than the family he loved most of all.

On April 6, 1917 the first U. S. combat troops arrived in France as the U.S. declared war on Germany, entering into the fray of World War I, and casting so many doubts and fears on a breathless nation. On April 22, in the little resort town of Baraboo, Wisconsin, William and Marie (Redepenning) Wedel found reason for hope, as they welcomed their son, George Carl Ernst.

George was one of seven children, and his father worked hard at the water department in the pump house to provide for his family, while his mother stayed busy at home with the kids. Though having such a large family provided many challenges, it also offered many rewards. It gave George a chance to experience at an early age the importance of having a loving and supportive family.

Though the siblings were close, they could also be competitive, especially when it came to George and his brother Oscar. At Baraboo High School, George brought his competitive spirit to sports where he excelled on the football field. After graduation, George attended the University of Wisconsin, where he studied mechanical engineering. Shortly after college, George served his country in WWII as a part of the U.S. Navy. He was stationed on the USS Bismarck Sea, which was the last flat top that sank in WWII in Iwo Jima. George also served in the Naval Reserves, retiring as a commander.

While George was in active duty in Washington D.C., he literally ran into the woman that would become his future wife. Dorothy had recently started working in Decoding for the Department of War and moved into a room at a boarding house to be closer to work. She and George ran into each other when she was moving in and he was moving out. There was an instant attraction, and Dorothy and George knew they had stumbled on something special. Dorothy broke off her previous engagement and before long she and George were inseparable. They dated for a little over a year before they married at her parent's home in Pittsfield, Massachusetts on August 3, 1943.

The newlyweds spent their honeymoon traveling by train from Pittsfield to Baraboo, to visit George's parents. After their visit, the pair settled into married life and concentrated on starting a family. In 1944, George and Dorothy welcomed their first child, a daughter, Jean.

In 1945, the Wedel family moved to Fort Wayne, Indiana where they would spend the next decade of their lives. While Dorothy stayed home and cared for Jean, George was busy working at General Electric as a sales engineer.

In 1947, Dorothy and George leaned on each other more than ever after their baby daughter Carol died. Though it was a tough time for the pair, they got through it together, and in 1949 they were blessed with another daughter, Barbara. As their family continued to grow, George and Dorothy were constantly amazed at how bright and funny their two girls were and how with each day that passed they loved them more and more.

Dorothy and George wanted a big family and were overjoyed when their son George was born in 1954. Sadly, George died shortly after birth and once again Dorothy and George worked through it together.

In 1955, General Electric transferred George to Holland, Michigan, where the family lived until 1967. In 1962, Dorothy and George were blessed with their last child, a son they named Steve.

In 1967, George was transferred again, this time to Dearborn Heights. While in Dearborn, George became an active member at the Guardian Lutheran Church. He also tried to devote more time to some of his hobbies, and continued his enjoyment of golfing. As part of his job with GE, he took clients to The Masters, and even played in Pro AM event prior to one of the tournaments.

George was passionate about the outdoors and spent as much time as possible tending to his vegetables in the garden or watching Dorothy work on her flowers. He also loved to mow the lawn-going in a different direction each time he mowed- and so he didn't want anyone to mow except him.

George also enjoyed woodworking and would often tinker around with new ideas. He loved reading the paper cover to cover and was a huge Green Pay Packer and University of Wisconsin fan.

As much as George enjoyed his hobbies, he found true joy in traveling with his family. Every summer, GE would close down for two weeks and the whole family would pile in the car and drive to Baraboo for their summer vacation. After the kids were out of the house, Dorothy and George made three trips each year. They traveled to Maine to visit Dorothy's sorority sisters, always attended the USS Bismarck Sea ship reunions, and never missed the Roser family get-togethers, held in a different part of the country each year. After his retirement from GE in 1987, George and Dorothy moved back to Holland. George joined the Holland American Legion Golf Course in 1955, now known as the Holland Country Club.

In 2002, after nearly 60 years of marriage, Dorothy and George were parted by death, as Dorothy lost her battle with cancer. Though George was a deeply caring person, he was not very emotional-that had been Dorothy's department- and he turned to his family to help him deal with her death. He stayed busy spending time with his grandchildren and great grandchildren and also became a regular diner at Ottawa Beach Inn.

George was a noble, remarkable man, who lived a remarkable life, a life full of family and friendship, of many challenges but also triumphs. He was a proud veteran, devoted husband, loving father and grandfather, and a friend to so many. Most of all, George was a man who strove for perfection in all that he did, and all that he loved. He will be greatly missed.

George Wedel, age 89, of Holland, died Thursday, December 14, 2006 at Oak Crest Manor. Surviving are his children, Jean M. and John Godfrey of Battle Creek, Barbara J. Brower of Grand Haven, and Steven J. and Crinela Wedel of Wyandotte; 9 grandchildren and 6 great grandchildren; brother, Oscar and Mildred Wedel of Beloit, WI; in-laws, Barbara Mayberry of Pocahontas, IA and James and Becky Roser of Boulder, CO; nephews, nieces, and cousins.

Memorial services will be held 11 a.m. Monday at the Zion Lutheran Church, 77 West 32nd Street, with the Rev. John Westra officiating. Burial will be in Fort Custer Cemetery. Visiting will be 3-5 p.m. Sunday at the Dykstra Life Story Funeral Homes-Mulder Chapel, 188 West 32nd Street. Memorials may be made to Zion Lutheran Church Memorial Fund or Camp Concordia.