Wiederaenders, Robert Charles - 1922-2012

BECKER, DELLO, GORRELL, MIX, WATSON, WIEDERAENDERS

Posted By: Volunteer
Date: 8/16/2024 at 09:20:42

Reverend Robert Charles Wiederaenders, 90, of Dubuque, Iowa, died Monday, October 22, 2012 at Ennoble Skilled Nursing and Rehab.
Memorial services will be held Saturday, October 27, 2012 at 11 a.m. at Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, with Rev. Arnold Flater officiating. A visitation will be held Saturday from 9:45 to 10:45 a.m. at the Church. The Egelhof, Siegert & Casper Westview Funeral Home and Crematory, 2659 John F Kennedy Road, Dubuque, Iowa, is in charge of the arrangements.
Robert was born on June 23, 1922, in Clinton, IA., the son of Martin and Olivia (Mix) Wiederaenders. He graduated from Waverly High School in 1939 and from Wartburg College in 1943.
Robert served in the United States Army during WWII in the Horse Cavalry. In 1945 he went to India, served in a finance office and was part of a jungle recovery unit in Burma and Thailand.
After the war Robert received his B.D at Wartburg Seminary and his S.T.M. at the University of Chicago Theological Seminary. He started working at Hope Lutheran Church in Midlothian, Ill. and there met his future wife, Wauneta (Nita) Gorrell. They were married June 15, 1951 at Rockefeller Chapel, University of Chicago.
Robert was ordained at St. Paul's Lutheran Church, Waverly Iowa. For twelve years he served as pastor at churches in Illinois. In 1964 Nita and Robert moved with their four children to Dubuque. They joined Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, where they have remained active members for the past 48 years.
From 1964 to 2008 Rev. Robert was Archivist for Region 5 ELCA and Archivist for Wartburg Seminary. Church history was Robert's hobby before it became his profession. He helped organize the Lutheran Historical Conference and served as its president from 1972 to 1974.
Community organizations that he enjoyed most and was active in for many years include The Dubuque Historical Society and the society's archives, the Dubuque Area Congregations United and the Dubuque Rescue Mission where he served on the board and as president several times. He was honored to officiate at the reburial of Chief Peosta assisting representatives of the Meskwaki Tribe. After his retirement Robert joined French Colonial Studies. He edited The People of the American Midwest; to 1803. A Bibliographical Database. Robert also wrote a definitive biography of Julien Dubuque included in the book titled Plumbing the Depths published in 2006.
Surviving is his wife, Wauneta; children, Paul Wiederaenders, of Sterling, Illinois, Catherine (James) Dello, of Chicago, Illinois, Claudia Wiederaenders, of Schaumburg, Illinois, and Carl (Melissa Watson) Wiederaenders, of Des Moines, Iowa; grandchildren, Nicole and Jacob Wiederaenders, Nicholas Watson and Benjamin Wiederaenders; great grandchildren, Marco and Chelsea Wiederaenders; brothers, Richard (Milly) Wiederanders, of Aberdeen, South Dakota, Donald Wiederanders, of Cedar Falls, Iowa, and William (Nancy) Wiederanders; and nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents, and his sister, Elizabeth Becker.
Online condolences may be left for the family at www.egelhofsiegertcasper.com
Memorials may be given to Wartburg Seminary, National Mississippi River Museum and Holy Trinity Lutheran Church.
Published in Des Moines (IA) Register; Thursday, October 25, 2012, page 6B