Arlo D. Wittstock

Arlo passed on May 3, 2017, at his home near Lorimor. A visitation will be held from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m., Monday, May 8, 2017 at Ochiltree Funeral Service in Winterset, family will be present at these times. Funeral Services will be held at 10:30 a.m., Tuesday, May 9, at Ochiltree Funeral Service with burial to follow in the Lorimor Cemetery, he will be interred next to his wife Delores. Memorials may be directed to the American Legion Post 96 in Lorimor and online condolences can be left at ochiltree.com. Arlo was born February 28, 1927 to Karl and Grace (Spanjer) Wittstock and baptized in Hope Lutheran Church in Burr, Nebraska. He was the third of five children. In 1929 the family moved to Brockway, Montana to start a farming operation. They returned to the Burr area during the depression due to the dust bowl and low wheat prices. Shortly thereafter his father passed away and the boys had to begin making their own way in the world. During WWII, at the age of seventeen while claiming he was older, the Navy determined he was too small to enlist so he went next door and enlisted in the Coast Guard. He served in the Pacific theater on the troop transport APA 12 USS Leonard Wood, USS Grand Forks, USS Pueblo and the USS Key West. He worked as an engineer on the black gang in the engine room on board the ships. He always took great pride in the fact that the Leonard Wood was the first transport returning to the United States with troops from Japan after the war ended and arrived in Washington State to an enormous celebration. He found humor in that he received his official draft notice after he returned from the war. After the war he worked in the Juilfs Oil Company service station and delivered fuel in the Sterling, Nebraska area. He met Delores Hestermann of Sterling, Nebraska at an ice skating party he crashed in 1942. They were married on May 28, 1950 at St. John's Lutheran Church in Sterling, Nebraska. The couple moved to Iowa on May 29, 1950 and started farming southwest of Osceola in the Lacelle area and formed lifetime friendships with neighbors in the area. His constant companion was his dog Mugs. In February of 1958 the family moved to the farmstead located between Afton and Lorimor, Iowa where they raised their family. The farming operation consisted raising cattle and hogs, selling milk and eggs as well as growing corn, soybeans, oats. During the summer thousands of small round hay bales were put up to feed the cattle through the winter. There were always odd jobs and custom farming that was undertaken to help make the ends meet. He was one of the first farmers in the area to pull on anhydrous with a pull behind applicator and nurse tank and he chopped silage all across the eastern half of the County. He was an owner of the Grand River Sawmill Company along with neighbors George Groesbeck and Alvin Comer where they sawed logs for their own use as well of others needing lumber. Early in the farming career work was shared with multiple neighbors who all made the work go smoother. All the farm improvements including buildings were constructed by Arlo and the family with their own resources. The family worked with the contractor when Highway 169 was reconstructed and salvaged all the steel reinforcing for sale and re-use. Whenever any implement or devise was needed to make a job easier he invented the device then pulled out the welder and made it. Many of the home-made implements are still in use today. There was never a slow time. He was especially proud of his Super MTA, Oliver 1850 and International 1486 tractors. Due to his and Delores' efforts all the children were able to attend college. All the grandchildren of age have also been able to attend college which gave him great joy. Arlo was an avid hunter and fisherman. He hunted raccoons with his favorite dogs Joker and Sadie and coyotes with Bingo and Charlie. He was an active deer hunter from the beginning of the deer season in Iowa. Multiple ponds were constructed on the farm and were actively fished at dusk after the days work. He taught all the grandchildren how to fish at these ponds. On Sunday afternoons many of the local kids in the area would come to the farm to hill-climb with their motorcycles which was a lot of fun for everyone. He was renown for growing watermelons and his annual feed that was held each fall. He was a member and past Commander of American Legion Post 96 in Lorimor, Iowa for 67 years. He traveled on the first honor flight for WWII veterans to Washington, DC with Ken Waller. Family reunions and holidays, where the grandchildren would all show up, were always enjoyed by Arlo. Christmas and Easter were always special times for everyone. He devised games for the grand kids which determined their presents and during the last few years took pleasure in watching them participate in the white elephant gift exchange. He was preceded in death by his wife Delores, his parents, his brother Darrel who was killed in WWII, and his sister Lavina Schlueter. He is survived by his children Duane (Jennifer) of Norwalk, Iowa; Carol Murawski (Steve) of Eagle, Wisconsin; Lois Munden (Mark) of Lorimor, Iowa; Dean (Barbara) of Afton, Iowa; grandchildren Jenny Garrison (Brandan) of Evansville, Indiana; Erin Wittstock of Jacksonville, Florida; Jeff Wittstock of Clive, Iowa; Sarah Murawski of Eagle, Wisconsin; Giles Munden of Corydon, Iowa; Nathan Murawski of Denver, Colorado; Brandon Wittstock, Afton Iowa and Matthew Wittstock of Afton, Iowa; great grandchild Hayden Wittstock; his brother Donald of Wichita, Kansas; and sister Dee Somer of Papillion, Nebraska.