Arthur Louis Woerdehoff, age 85, of Wall Lake, Iowa, passed away on Saturday, February 25, 2006, at Twilight Acres Nursing Home in Wall Lake.

Mass of the Christian Burial will be held at 10:00 a.m., Tuesday, February 28th, at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Wall Lake with presentation of the flag at St. Bernard’s Catholic Cemetery in Breda. The Farber & Otteman Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

Visitation for family and friends is from 4:00-8:00 p.m., Monday at the church with a vigil service at 7:00 p.m.

Art was born on December 31, 1920, at home near Wall Lake, the son of Louis and Mary (Reising) Woerdehoff. He was baptized in January of 1921 and confirmed in May of 1931 at St. Bernard Catholic Church in Breda. He grew up on a farm southeast of Wall Lake, where he also attended country school. In May of 1945, Art was inducted into the U.S. Army serving his country with a tour of duty in Germany in the infantry, until October 1946 when he was honorably discharged.

Wedding bells were ringing for Art and Evelyn A. Ricke on November 24, 1943 at St. Bernard Catholic Church in Breda as they were united in marriage. This union was blessed with six children: Arlan, Lanette, Ronald, Martin, Donna, and Kathleen.

After his marriage he continued to farm and raise his family near Wall Lake. He was a Dekalb Seed Corn Dealer from 1973 through 2002, retiring from farming in the fall of 2004. Art enjoyed meeting people and made many lifelong friends and had many fond memories from dances and celebrations at the Lakewood Ballroom he operated from 1964 through 1980.

As a devoted and active member of St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Wall Lake, Art served as a lay minister. He enjoyed playing cards, especially with Evelyn, watching his grandchildren play sports and loved being a farmer working the land, growing and harvesting a crop.

Survivors include his wife, Evelyn; and his children and their spouses: Arlan and wife Barbara of Lake View, Lanette and husband Ronald Schafer of Panora, IA, Martin and wife Sherri of Wall Lake, Donna and husband Wayne Poen of Lake View, and Kathleen and husband Bart Maere of Panora, IA. Other survivors include his daughter-in-law, Debra Woerdehoff and husband Dean Tiefenthaler of Wall Lake; his 19 grandchildren; 20 great-grandchildren; sister, Philomena and husband Wilfred Naberhaus of Halbur, IA; many extended family members; and a host of friends.

Art was preceded in death by his parents, Louis and Mary; his son, Ronald; two sisters: Loretta Koster and Lucille Ricke; and his great grandson, Alec Woerdehoff.