Gary L. Wiegel, 83, of Mt. Pleasant, died Wednesday, May 12, 2021 at the Great River Hospice House in West Burlington.
A memorial funeral service for Mr. Wiegel will be held at 10:30 AM on Monday, May 17 at the First United Methodist Church, 309 N. Main St., Mt. Pleasant. The Reverend David Bracht-Wagner, Senior Pastor, will officiate. Friends may call from 12 Noon to 7 PM on Sunday at the Kimzey Funeral Home, 213 N. Main St., Mt. Pleasant. Gary’s family will receive friends from 4-7 PM on Sunday.
In lieu of flowers, those considering an expression of sympathy may direct memorials to Great River Hospice or the Mt. Pleasant Child Care Center.
The funeral service will be livestreamed on the First United Methodist Church’s YouTube Channel. Online condolences may be left at www.kimzeyfuneralhome.com.
Gary Lee Wiegel was born August 9, 1937 in Rock Island, IL. He was the son of Carl R. and Mary Louise (Kemper) Wiegel. Gary graduated from Orion Community High School in 1955. On August 29, 1958 in Woodhull, IL, Gary was united in marriage to JoAnne Brown.
After his high school education, Gary attended Rice University in Houston, TX, where he played football. He returned to Illinois and continued his education at Monmouth College in Monmouth, IL. He played football for Monmouth and was a member of the TKE fraternity. He was conferred with a BA in Business in 1959.
Gary went to work for the John Deere Co. in Moline. During that time Gary was drafted into the United States Army. He entered the Army on November 12, 1960 at Ft. Leonard Wood, MO and was honorably discharged from the US Army Reserves on August 31, 1966.
Gary returned to John Deere briefly and decided to take the bar entrance exam. He was accepted to Drake Law School and graduated with his Juris Doctorate in 1965.
For 56 years, Gary practiced law in Mt. Pleasant. For eight of those years, he accepted the duties of being the Henry County Attorney. He retired from his practice just a month ago.
Gary was a member of the First United Methodist Church. He served many years on the church’s Board of Trustees and taught Middle School Sunday School with his wife. He was a member of the Henry County Bar Association and the Iowa Bar Association. He was a Past President of the Mt. Pleasant Area Chamber of Commerce and served several terms as President of the Mt. Pleasant Golf and Country Club. Gary was also a longtime member of the Henry County Conservation Board. When time allowed, Gary enjoyed hunting, fishing, golfing and snow skiing. Gary loved family vacations and spending time with his grandkids and great-grandkids.
Those thankful for sharing in Gary’s life include his wife of 62+ years, JoAnne of Mt. Pleasant; 2 children and their spouses – Thomas & Tona Wiegel of Tallahassee, FL and Julie & Ryan Pilling of Salem; a sister, Betty Malmen of Orion, IL; 5 grandchildren – Ben and Graci Wiegel, Alisha (Justin) Davis, Mikayla (Brandon) Herron and Trey Jennings and 5 great grandchildren – Maddie, Emma and Isabelle Herron and Cash and Knox Davis.
Gary’s parents and a brother, Charles Reed Wiegel precede him in death.