Charles "Tom" W. Wetterhus Obituary (1923

Let Us Pause To Honor the Memory of Mr. Charles W. "Tom" Wetterhus Mr. Charles W. "Tom" Wetterhus, age 92, of Madison, Indiana, entered this life on August 30, 1923 in Roy, New Mexico. He was the loving son of the late Nels and Laura Frances Stokely Wetterhus. Tom's father, Nels, came to the U.S. from Norway and homesteaded in Roy, where he married Laura. During the dustbowl the family moved to Santa Fe and later to Albuquerque, where Tom was a 1941 graduate of Albuquerque High School. He was inducted into the United States Army on March 13, 1943 in Los Angeles, California. He was selected for the Army Specialized Training Program (ASTP) and sent to Indiana University, where he met his future Hoosier wife. However, studying engineering was not his idea of fighting the war so he worked himself out of the program. He was assigned to General Walter Krueger's 6th Army in the south west pacific theatre, after 8 more weeks of basic training at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri. He rose to the rate of Technician Fifth Grade while serving during World War II. He fought in the Battles and Campaigns in New Guinea and Luzon. He was honorably discharged on January 17, 1946 at Fort Bliss, Texas where he was awarded the American Theater Ribbon, Asiatic Pacific Theater Ribbon, Philippine Liberation Ribbon, Good Conduct Medal, the Bronze Arrowhead Medal and the World War II Victory Medal. Tom was united in marriage to Kathryn Donselman on August 22, 1946 in Albuquerque, New Mexico at Immanuel Lutheran Church. This happy union was blessed with one daughter Jan and one son James. He attended the University of New Mexico on the GI Bill and graduated in 1950 with a degree in civil engineering. He was a licensed, professional civil engineer and surveyor and worked for F&S Construction building the towns of Thornton, CO; Kearns, UT; and Hoffman Estates, Illinois; and the Hoffman Heights subdivisions in Aurora, CO, Phoenix and Albuquerque. Later he worked for Molzen-Corbin & Associates on the Interstate system, airports and water/sewer treatment plants. He took a four year hiatus in the late '60s to work as a structural engineer for Beach Aircraft in Liberal, KS., where he helped design the aerobatic Musketeer. In 1986, he retired from Molzen-Corbin & Associates in Carlsbad, NM, where he also served as city engineer. Since 2008, Tom and Kay made Madison home and were seen walking hand in hand every day. They were regulars at the Senior Citizens Center for lunch and at the Senior Dances at the Brown Gym. Tom was a member of Faith Lutheran Church. He had been a charter member of Christ Lutheran Church in Albuquerque. Tom enjoyed being with his family, traveling and gardening. Tom died on Tuesday, March 29, 2016 at 6:26 p.m. at the King's Daughters' Hospital in Madison, Indiana. Click Here for Funeral Service or Tribute VideoA LOVING FAMILY Tom will be missed by his loving wife of nearly 70 years, Kathryn "Kay" Donselman Wetterhus of Madison, Indiana; his loving daughter, Jan Vetrhus of Madison, Indiana; his loving son, James "Jay" Wetterhus and his wife Kristine of Morton, Illinois; his loving grandchildren, Timothy Wetterhus, Anna Gary and her husband, Dustin, Laura Williams and her husband, Dan, Kathryn Floyd and her husband, Antwone; his adoring great grandchildren, Genevieve, Lillian, Raymond, Ella, Leah, Kennedy, Cole, Jocelyn and Alexander; his loving sister, Ruth Nance of Denver, Colorado. He was preceded in death by his parents, Nels and Laura Frances Stokley Wetterhus, his brother, Jack Wetterhus, his sister, Marie Carruth; his brothers in law, Robert and Raymond Donselman. CELEBRATION CEREMONY Celebration of life services will be conducted Saturday, April 2, 2016, at 1:00 p.m., by Pastor Jeffrey Pflug at the Faith Lutheran Church, 3024 North Michigan Road in Madison, Indiana. Interment will follow at the Indiana Veterans Memorial Cemetery Chapel, 1415 North Gate Road in Madison, Indiana. VISITATION Friends may call Friday, April 1, 2016 from 4:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. at the Morgan & Nay Funeral Centre, 325 Demaree Drive in Madison, Indiana and Saturday from 12:00 p.m. until the time of service at the Faith Lutheran Church, 3024 North Michigan Road in Madison, Indiana. MILITARY HONORSFull military honors will follow at the Indiana Veterans Memorial Cemetery Chapel, 1415 North Gate Road in Madison, Indiana by the United States Army Ceremonial Unit and the Jefferson Post 9 of the American Legion.MEMORIAL EXPRESSIONS Memorial contributions may be made to the Faith Lutheran Church, the Lutheran Hour or LifeTime Resources. Cards are available at the funeral home and the church. To send a flower arrangement in memory of Charles "Tom" W. Wetterhus, please click here to visit our sympathy store.