age 81
of New Hampton, died Monday evening May 5, 2008, at the
Country View Care Center in Waterloo.
Funeral services are 3:00 p.m. Friday, May 9, 2008, at
Trinity Lutheran Church, New Hampton with Rev. Kevin
Frey officiating. Joseph Kotz will be the
crossbearer. Dennis Strum will be the organist
accompanying grandson, Luke Kotz singing "The
Lord's Prayer" and "On Eagles
Wings". The congregation will join Luke in
"How Great Thou Art."
Interment will be in the New Hampton Cemetery
with military rites by the New Hampton American Legion
Post #38 and V.F.W. Post #5238. Grandsons, Tom Fickbohm,
Luke Kotz, Matt Kruger, Caleb Kotz, Zach Kotz and Joseph
Kotz will serve as pallbearers. Honorary pallbearers are
granddaughters, Stephanie Fitzsimmons, Melanie Richter,
Sarah Kotz, Mandy Blackmon, Angie LaPolice, Emily Kruger
and Lindsey Kotz.
Friends may call 4:00 - 8:00 p.m. Thursday at Hugeback
& Chenoweth Funeral Home in New Hampton. Visitation
continues an hour prior to the service at the church on
Friday.
Wilbur Ashland Kotz was born August 3, 1926, in Clear
Lake, IA, the son of Louis and Tilda (Ashland) Kotz. He
attended rural country school near Clear Lake and
attended high school in Mason City, IA.
On December 28, 1945, Wilbur was inducted into the
United States Navy and was honorably discharged on
October 28, 1947. On March 11, 1946, in Decorah, IA, he
married Altha Mae Elliott. To this union, eight children
were born. Wilbur owned and operated a gas station in
Mason City. He also worked for Eastern Iowa
Breeders and road construction for Carlson Construction.
In the mid 1960’s he began working at John Deere in
Waterloo until retiring in the late 1980’s.
On December 31, 1998, his wife Altha Mae Kotz
died. Wilbur later remarried Virginia (Slick)
Blietz on December 16, 2000, at the First Baptist Church
in New Hampton. Wilbur had been very active in stock car
racing throughout the years and loved planting and
caring for the trees he planted.
Survivors include his wife, Virginia of New Hampton;
four daughters, Patsy Jane Fickbohm of Des Moines, Merry
Lynne (Richard) Kruger of Charles City, Kathy Mae (Mark)
Van Tassel of Rochester, MN and Sue Ann Kotz of
Waterloo; two sons, Tom Parker Kotz (Michele) of Lamoni,
IA and Robbie Louis (Cindy) Kotz of New Hampton; a
daughter-in-law, Barbara Jean Kotz of Cedar Rapids; two
step-children, Glenda (Roger) Hackman of Marshalltown,
IA and Allen (Eva) Blietz of Shewsbury, PA; 21
grandchildren; 30 great-grandchildren; and one
great-great-granddaughter; two brothers, Earl (Dolores)
Kotz of Clear Lake, IA and Edward Kotz of Grinnell, IA;
two sisters, Doris (Norm) Creager of Florence OR and
Mabelle Roben of Appleton, WI.
He was preceded in death by his parents; a daughter,
LaLonna on July 16, 1965; his first wife, Altha Mae Kotz
on December 31, 1998; a son, Wilbur Elliott Kotz on
December 26, 2006; and a brother, Stanley Kotz.
