Willard Short - Winterset

Willard Short, 79, of Winterset, died Tuesday, April 9, 2013, at Iowa Methodist Medical Center in Des Moines. Funeral services will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Friday, April 12, at the First Christian Church in Winterset with Rev. Dr. George Lair, Rev. Kevin Blader and Rev. Sue Blader officiating. Burial will be in the Winterset Cemetery. Memorials may be directed to the First Christian Church or to the Madison County Fair. Willard Short was born on Feb. 27, 1934, the son of Vern and Susie Short. He was raised near Peru, Iowa, and graduated in 1952 from Lorimor High School. After graduating from Iowa State College (now ISU) in 1959, he and his wife, Eva, moved from Cherokee to Winterset in 1962. He joined Bernard Wight as a partner in Wight and Short Mobil and Farm Bulk Delivery, later to be known as Wight & Short Phillips 66. The station's location on John Wayne Drive made it the "gateway to downtown" because many visitors stopped there to ask directions. Willard played "ambassador" for Winterset by greeting customers and giving them more than directions; he engaged them in long conversations on why Winterset and Madison County were such great places to visit and live. Willard and Bernard sold the business in 1998; Willard retired in 1998. Willard and Eva have two sons, Randy and Rick. He was their Cub Scout leader and supported them in all their activities. He set a good example for the boys by serving his church as elder, deacon and president of the board, multiple times, at First Christian Church. Willard served on many board and committees and volunteered his time. He was never afraid to get down in the trenches and work with everyone, giving 100 percent of himself 100 percent of the time. Willard was long involved in affairs in Winterset in Madison County. In the early years, Willard helped found The Winterset Improvement League which, among other projects, beautified the area around Cedar Covered Bridge. He involved the Kiwanis Club to clean up the area, mow the weeds every few weeks, and plant flowers and trees. When it got dry that first summer, Willard would haul five-gallon buckets full of water from Cedar Creek, carrying them up the hill to water the new plantings - most of which are still alive today. Willard and the Improvement League board went on to promote the establishment of a conservation board for Madison County. Willard loved his work for the Madison County Conservation Board as a 12-year member of the Madison County Foundation for Environmental Education. He was a long-time member of the Winterset Kiwanis Club, and has held offices of president and treasurer. In 1969, Willard and fellow Kiwanian Bob Christensen were discussing the matter of Chamber of Commerce president. Willard made a deal with Bob that, if he would head up a new committee who wanted to start a "nostalgia festival", that Willard would chair the Chamber of Commerce. Bob took the deal; he and four other Kiwanis Club members, including Willard, went on to create the first Madison County Covered Bridge Festival. They were on the committee for the next 10 years. Willard was elected to City Council in 1974, and served two years. He acted as mayor pro tem while Bob Howell was recovering from surgery. Willard was a talented wood worker and, when the industrial arts building was located where the current city library stands, he taught students woodworking, in the adult education program. Willard was also a wood carver, and was a member of the Des Moines club. Willard was instrumental in bringing the carvers' club to Winterset for several of the Covered Bridge Festivals to display their art. His passion for working with youth prompted Willard to serve on the Madison County Fair Board for eight years in the 80s. He was the treasurer, and he worked tirelessly to improve the fairgrounds and buildings, because he felt the 4-H and FFA programs were important for the youth. Willard was named Citizen of the Year in 1989. Those who nominated him back then had already recognized his achievements, but he would go on to build on those accolades. Willard and Eva enjoyed volunteering their time, playing ambassadors at the Iowa State Fair tourism booth, being members of the Madison County Historical Society and hosting there frequently, and being supporting members of the Winterset Art Center. Willard and Eva were crowned king and queen of the Covered Bridge Festival in 2009. Willard and Eva enjoyed traveling in their RV with their "Covered Bridge Sams" club. They also had been hosts at the campground in City Park. Willard was most recently a realtor with Madison County Realty. Willard is survived by his wife, Eva of Winterset; sons, Randy (Greta) Short of Council Bluffs, Iowa and Rick (Judy) Short of Shorewood, Illinois; and grandchildren, Sierra Short, Madison Short, Zachary Short and Alexander Short. He was preceded in death by his parents, Vern and Susie (Kirk) Short; and sister, Christine Farlow and her husband Jack. Service: 10:30 AM Friday April 12, 2013 First Christian Church Winterset Visitation: Thursday from Noon to 8 PM Family receiving friends from 6 to 8 PM First Christian Church