Wilfred Gerhard Naberhaus

Mass of Christian burial will be at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, April 12, at St. Augustine Catholic Church in Halbur. Celebrant will be the Rev. Dale Reiff. Lector will be granddaughter Vicki Rotert. Gift bearers will be Wilfred’s grandchildren. Mass servers will be great-grandchildren Jared Rotert and Megan Rotert. Music will be played by the St. Augustine choir. Organist will be Julie Sibbel. Casket bearers will be grandchildren Amanda Nichols, Rob Naberhaus, Mike Sporrer, Jeremy Jordan, David Olberding, Rachel Wittrock and Chad Naberhaus. Burial with military honors by American Legion Ehlers-Gerken Post 694, Arcadia, will be at St. Augustine Cemetery
in Halbur. Visitation and prayers will be after 3 p.m. today, April 11, with a rosary 4 p.m. and a prayer service at 6:30 p.m. at Ohde Twit Funeral Home, Carroll.

Online condolences can be made at http://www.ohdetwitfuneralhome.com.

Wilfred Gerhard, son of Henry and Anna (Wempe) Naberhaus, was born Sept. 5, 1917, near Mount Carmel in Carroll County, Iowa. He attended rural school and helped his family on the farm. On May 7, 1941, Wilfred entered the U.S. Army and was a member of an engineering group that built roads and bridges. He served in the Pacific during WWII. The last year in the Army was spent at Schick Hospital in Clinton where they made prosthesis for wounded military personnel. He received his honorable discharge on July 1, 1945.

On May 11, 1944, Wilfred was married to Philomena Woerdehoff at St. Bernard Church in Breda by the Rev. Schleyer. They spent their first year in Clinton and then settled in Halbur where Wilfred worked as a blacksmith and welder. They raised their eight children in Halbur. Wilfred opened Naberhaus Implement, selling, servicing and repairing farm implements. He sold the business to his son Leon “Barney” Naberhaus in 1980 and worked for his son for a number of years during his retirement.

Wilfred cherished Philomena, his wife of 66 plus years and enjoyed spending time with his family. His hobbies were woodworking and golf. He was a member of St. Augustine Parish and St. Augustine Men’s Club. He was a member of the Halbur Fire Department for 30 years, serving as Chief for seven years, and was on the Halbur Town Council. He was also a life time member of the Arcadia American Legion.

In 2008, after living in Halbur for 60 years, Wilfred and Philomena moved to Westwood Knolls in Carroll and joined St. Lawrence Parish. They moved to Carroll Health Center in March 2010. Wilfred had a short illness and died peacefully surrounded by his family on Saturday, April 9, 2011 at St. Anthony Hospital in Carroll.

He is survived by his wife Philomena Naberhaus of Carroll; six children: Shirley Jordan (Bill) of Manchester, NH; Dennis Naberhaus (Pat) of Midland, Mich.; LaVonne Sporrer (Paul) of Dedham; Eileen Prebeck (Gene) of Templeton; Leon “Barney” Naberhaus (Cindy) of Carroll and Sandy Wittrock (Kevin) of Halbur; son-in-law Jim Olberding; 25 grandchildren; 30 great-grandchildren; two brothers Leo Naberhaus of Mount Carmel and Norbert Naberhaus (Marcella) of Carroll and three sisters Bernetta Pudenz of Pocahontas, Ann Lappe of Carroll and Mary Ann Naberhaus of Mount Carmel; sisters-in-law Ruth Naberhaus of Scranton, Dorothy Naberhaus of Indianola, and Evelyn Woerdehoff of Wall Lake; nieces, nephews, other relatives and many friends.

Preceding Wilfred in death are his parents; two daughters Karen Olberding and Jean Ann Naberhaus; three grandchildren Daniel Olberding, Mary Kay Sporrer and Willy Jordan; three brothers Maurice Naberhaus (Mary Ann), Joe Naberhaus and Eugene Naberhaus; two sisters Laura Bruggen (Harry) and Leonora Rothmeyer (Richard) and two brothers-in-law Ray Pudenz and Virgil Lappe Sr.