Donald "Bud" Valerian Wieck

Donald “Bud” Valerian Wieck died peacefully,  well loved, and “ready to meet his maker” at Pleasantview Home in Kalona, Iowa, on Friday, March 31, 2017, at the age of 93 years.  

“Bud”  was born April 17, 1923 at home in Grand Mound, Iowa to Louis Ferdinand “Ferd” George and Margaret Wilhelmina Lindemann Wieck.  He was eagerly welcomed by a brother and six sisters who immediately called him their “little Buddy” – a nickname that stuck with him his entire life!  Bud was baptized at the original SS. Phillip and James Catholic Church in Grand Mound, and attended St. Anne’s Catholic School right across the street through 8th grade.  He graduated from Grand Mound Public School in 1941, but was unable to participate in Commencement exercises due to a bad case of the mumps.

Bud was well known for his “love affair with cars”, which started the summer of 1937 (before his freshman year) when he started working part-time at Minor Motor Company (Chevrolet dealership) in DeWitt, IA. Bud was also known for his “love affair with Mabel Pascal”, which started his junior year of HS – 1939.  Mabel was the second daughter of George III and Dora Elona (Heid) Pascal who had just moved to Grand Mound from Pocahontas, IA.  She graduated in 1940 and went off to college. Bud graduated the following year, worked at the Rock Island Arsenal , and then joined the Army early in 1943, serving in the Pacific Theater of WWII for nearly three years.   He achieved the rank of Staff Sergeant and was assigned to censorship of incoming and outgoing mail.  He always insisted he wasn’t a hero – that the guys on the front lines, the prisoners in the Death March, and the guys who were injured or never came back were the heros -- but he was a hero to his family! The war ended and Bud got home right before Christmas 1945. Finally – 7 ½ years after they first met -- Bud and Mabel Elvina Pascal were married on Nov. 10, 1946 in The Little Brown Church in Nashua, IA.

In 1947, Bud joined his brother, Abe, and brother-in-law, Lyle “Dutch” Blunck, in forming Modern Motors Company in DeWitt (where Barnes Foodland is now) to sell new Hudsons. In 1952 Abe started Wieck Motor Sales on the east end of 11th street (where Central Transportation Dept. is now), selling Cadillacs, Buicks, Oldsmobiles, Pontiacs, and GMC trucks.  Modern Motors continued a little longer until Hudsons phased out, and then Bud and Dutch sold Modern Motors and joined Abe at Wieck Motor Sales.

Rebecca “Becky” Jo, was born to Bud and Mabel on April 28, 1953. Becky married Gary Curtis on Aug. 2, 1975.  A granddaughter, Tiffany Mae, was born Dec. 23, 1980.  Their second granddaughter, Larissa Jo, was born on Sept. 22, 1983. Sadly, the next month, Mabel was diagnosed with lung cancer, and died nine months later on July 23, 1984 – almost 45 years after they met and 38 years after they were married.  In 1990 Bud reconnected with Doris Hastings, the widow of a former customer. Bud and Doris Iva Hastings were married on Sept. 14, 1991 with the blessings of Becky and Jim, Doris’s son. Unfortunately, Bud and Doris only had six years together -- Doris died of colon cancer the week before Thanksgiving 1997. Bud often said, “ Many folks aren’t lucky enough to have one good marriage; I had two!”

Bud loved doing things for his family and others!  He built a sandbox, jungle gyms, teeter totter, doll house and furniture, rabbit hutch, giraffe clothes racks, picnic tables, benches, tin men, numerous shelves, put a built-in a dresser in his bedroom, finished off his basement, built a cute little picket fence around his patio, and enjoyed putting up Christmas lights for all to enjoy!  He sent birthday and Christmas cards to his whole extended family and many friends right up until he died – in fact he had them done several months in advance!  He taught Dale Carnegie classes, was a church elder, a captain to help pass a Central bond issue, arranged loaner cars for Central Driver Education, was Central Band Booster president, Springbrook president,  and attended literally hundreds of funeral visitations to show compassion for friends and customers who had lost a loved one. And he enjoyed handing out $2 bills and “Free Tickets” as “thank yous” to anyone who helped him! 

Up until he died, Bud was enjoying his third generation of girls, five great-granddaughters, Larissa, Beatrice, Aletta, Grete, and Thora!  When asked if he ever wished for a boy, Bud always responded, “Hell – I wouldn’t know what to do with a boy!  I had six sisters,  two wives, one daughter, two granddaughters, and now five great granddaughters!”

Bud was one of a kind!  Heaven will be a little brighter with him up there, and earth a little paler with him gone.  He was loved and cherished by his whole family and he will be sorely missed by all of us. We’ll always remember him and try to honor him by passing on his greatest gifts to us – his faith, his smile, his kindness,  his generosity, and his grateful spirit.   And maybe a few of his jokes! 

Bud is survived by his devoted daughter, Rebecca “Becky” Jo (Gary Dale) Curtis of Iowa City, Iowa; his stepson, James Harvey “Jim” Jr. (Colleen Marie) Hastings of Clinton; two loving granddaughters -- Tiffany Mae Strande of Chatfield, MN and Larissa Jo (Erik Trygve) Iverson of St. Paul, MN; and five precious great granddaughters --  Larissa Eliazbeth Martin, Beatrice Curtis Martin, and Aletta Katherine Strande all of Chatfield, MN;  and Grete Benedikte and Thora Mae Iverson of St. Paul, MN; as well as many nieces and nephews.

Bud was preceded in death by his parents; his father and mother-in-law; both his wives; one brother and wives – Elmer “Abe” Ferdinand Jacob (Bernice Elizabeth Hanson died; married Pauline Lewis) Wieck; six sisters and their husbands– Florence Theodora (John Burton) Minor, Generose “Gene” Catherine (Raymond Leslie) Moore, Blanche Elizabeth (Charles O.) Lee, Lillian Violet (Paul Francis) Gillooly, Celestine “Sally” Teresa (Lyle “Dutch” Kenneth) Blunck, and Kathleen “Kay” Cecelia (Phillip Francis) Carraher; three sisters-in-law and their husbands – Dorraine Georgia (Ralph “Hap” John Edward) Blunck, Talitha Tillie (John “Jack” Joseph) Reed, and Virginia “Jini” Mae (Robert Arthur) Carlsen; and many nieces and nephews.

Arrangements are in the care of Beatty & Peterseim Funeral Home of Kalona and Schultz Funeral Home of DeWitt.  On Friday, April 7, 2017, Bud will be remembered in Kalona with visitation in Pleasantview Home Friendship Center from 2:00-3:45 p.m. with a service in the chapel at 4:00 p.m.  On Saturday, April 8, 2017, there will be a visitation at Emmaus Road Church, DeWitt from 9:15-10:45  a.m. followed by a service at 11:00 a.m.  A luncheon will be served at noon and a graveside service will be at Evergreen Cemetery, Grand Mound at 2:30 p.m.

Condolences may be expressed and a photo tribute viewed at www.schultzfuneralhomes.com