Wesley Dean Welsh

Dean was born January 6, 1937 in Chicago, IL during his dad's seminary schooling at Moody Bible Institute. After seminary, their family moved to lowa. He explained that because he was their third son and his sisters were later born, nobody knew where he was. He hitch-hiked 90 miles to the lowa State Fair and slept in a combine.

He delivered newspapers and sold the extra newspapers on the corner and stated that "I was always ready when the bus driver came because he had not just one but two nickels ready for me on his dash." He played varsity basketball as a forward and graduated from Agency, IA High School in 1955.

He went to Junior college in Pasadena, CA. He was honorably discharged from the United States Marine Corps reserves in 1959 and the Army reserves in 1962. He was accepted into the school of Architecture at lowa State University where he worked himself thru school in a sheet metal plant, gave haircuts and bought a percolator to sell coffee on an honor system. He graduated in 1964 and practiced architecture for over 50 years.

His joys of life were: Vanna White, Indianapolis 500, Cadillacs, golf (3 holes-in-one), Jack-n- Coke, woodworking, watercolors, sailing on Lake Michigan, picking fresh fruit, making homemade ice cream, making cedar Christmas cards, and teasing his grandchildren.

He is preceded in death by his parents: Harold and Ruth (Atkinson), daughter: Beth, brothers: Jerry and Harold.

He is survived by his children: Leane (Hieber) and Mark, brother: Larry, sisters: Bonnie (Stahl), Sharon (Rhine), and Judy (Smith), four grandchildren and six great grandchildren.

In lieu of a service, please enjoy a Jack-n-Coke in his honor.