John W. Vestweber

John W. Vestweber

John William Vestweber, 77, of Webster City, IA died Friday, June 8, 2007.

Funeral services will be held at 1:30 p.m. Tuesday, June 12, 2007 at the Bruce-Graham Funeral Home.  Interment will follow in the Fort Dodge Memorial Park Cemetery.  Visitation will be held from 11:30 a.m. until service time on Tuesday.  

John William Vestweber, son of John Peter and Cora Lindloff Vestweber, was born January 4, 1930, in Alexander, Iowa.  He grew up on the farm at Dows and Goldfield, Iowa.  He attended country school near Dows and graduated high school at Goldfield, Iowa in 1947.  He worked as Assistant Buttermaker at the Goldfield Co-op Creamery.

John was drafted and served with the Second Infantry Division in Korea from 1951 to 1953, attaining the rank of Staff Sergeant.  John earned a number of service ribbons and the Combat Infantry Badge. 

He returned to Iowa and worked for the Iowa State University Extension Service and the ISU Dairy Department as Fieldman and did Quality Control for the Goldfield Co-op Creamery.  John traveled for the M&M Livestock Products Company from 1970 until1985 as a Dairy Specialist in their Sales Department.  In 1986 he became licensed for insurance sales and became an Independent Agent until his retirement.

John was united in marriage to Shirley Ann Butrick on June 27, 1959 in Fort Dodge, Iowa.  They resided in Eagle Grove, Iowa, until 1975, when the couple moved to Marshall, Missouri.   To this union was born one son, Alan John.   Shirley lost her battle with cancer in 1981.  He married Elaine Valley of Webster City December 6, 1985 at Trinity Lutheran Church.  The couple resided in Webster City.

John is survived by his wife, Elaine, son Alan and devoted companion, Christine Hanson of  Lehigh,  step-children, Tim Valley of Webster City, Cindy Thomas of Bentonville, Arkansas, and Ramona Tankersley and her husband, Michael of Great Lakes, IL, sister, Jolyn Fredericksen of Webster City, and three step-grandchildren.

John developed a love for flying and became a pilot.  He enjoyed his aviation hobby for many years.  He was a member of Quiet Birdmen, the American Legion and a past member of the Loyal Order of the Moose.

John was preceded in death by his parents, brother Harry and first wife, Shirley.

Bruce-Graham Funeral Home