Obituary of Elsie Wetzeler

A memorial service for Elsie Mae Wetzeler, age ninety-six, of Spirit Lake, Iowa, will be held at 11 am, Saturday, April 27, 2024, at the United Methodist Church in Spirit Lake. Visitation will begin at 9 am until service time at the church. Interment will be at Lakeview Cemetery in Spirit Lake.

Memorials may be directed to the United Methodist Church, 1812 Gary Avenue, Spirit Lake, Iowa 51360

Elsie passed away April 5, 2024, at her home, surrounded by loved ones.

Elsie was born February 16, 1928, in Akron, IA to Otto and Ruth Larsen. She graduated from Akron Public School in 1946 then attended Morningside College in Sioux City. She later transferred to the University of South Dakota in Vermillion and earned her Secretarial Science Certificate. During her high school and college years, she worked during the summers in her father's business, the Akron Creamery Company. On July 9, 1949, Elsie married Charles W. Wetzeler at the Wesley United Methodist Church in Akron, IA. Charles' banking profession took them to Remsen, IA. After their first two children, Carol, and James (Jim) were born, they moved to Storm Lake, IA. It was there that their third child, Judith (Judy) was born. They then moved to Frankfort, IL where their fourth child, William (Bill) joined the family. After a short stay in IL, they moved to Spirit Lake, IA where they have lived ever since. 

Elsie was a member of multiple organizations. Some of the groups included PEO, Order of the Eastern Star, TTT, and for the Dickinson County Memorial Hospital Auxiliary and Scholarship Committee. Elsie was a long time Luzier Cosmetics consultant. After her children were in school, she was employed at the Spirit Lake Mainsail. She was a Board member of The State Bank for many years. She felt her most important job in life was raising her children and being a stay at home mom. She loved spending time with her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. She and her husband Charles always had a love of the Lakes Region and were regularly active in various community events. In 2021, Charles and Elsie were presented with the Kiwanis Citizen of the Years award. 

Elsie is survived by Charles W., her husband of 74 years, her daughters Carol (Wetzeler) Schultz, Judith (Wetzeler) Nece and husband James, William (Bill) Wetzeler and wife Kristin all of Spirit Lake and daughter-in-law Catherine Wetzeler of Boone, IA; also eight grandchildren: Angela (Wetzeler) Steuer and husband Matthew, Jennifer (Wetzeler) Schmidt and husband Michael, Robert Wetzeler and wife Allison, Brian Wetzeler, Stephanie (Schultz) Reicks and husband Graig, Andrew Schultz and wife Rebecca, Nicholas Wetzeler and wife Katelyn, Benjamin Wetzeler and eleven great-grandchildren: William, Jacob and Elizabeth Steuer, Greyson, Violet, and Samuel Schmidt and foster great grandson Ja'Voni Jackson, Camden and Cayler Reicks, and Cooper, Charles R. and Grace Wetzeler.

She is preceded in death by her son James Wetzeler, son-in-law Lloyd Schultz, parents Otto and Ruth Larsen, brother Cyril Larsen and sisters June (Larsen) Belshe and Elaine (Larsen) Deirup.