Edward Weir Obituary

Edward Claude Weir, son of Edward C. Weir and Ella Mae Reid Weir, was born in Portsmouth, Iowa on July 12, 1932. Ed passed from this life on Saturday, April 15, 2023, at the Taylor Hospice House in Des Moines, Iowa at 90 years of age. Our father was a great man. Soon after his birth in Portsmouth, Ed's family moved to Atlantic, Iowa where he went to grade school until he was orphaned at the age of 11. His mom died from cancer, at a very young age. The next year his father died in a tragic fire. Ed's siblings were all adopted after the death of their parents. Ed was old enough to decide he wanted to keep the Weir name so the system, at that time, put him into Father Flanigan's Boys Town in Omaha, Nebraska. During this time, Dad always tried to see his siblings whenever he could find them. The parents from the different families did not take kindly to his finding and talking with his siblings so it was a very rough time for Ed and all the kids. At Boys Town, they found out Dad had a beautiful tenor voice. They had him sing in the larger choir, as well as a very small, very special choir. The smaller choir was hand-selected to travel with Father Flanigan all over the country to sing. They even made an album. If you get a postcard from Boys Town, the picture on it is of Father Flanigan surrounded by his special choir. One of those boys is Ed Weir, our dad. When they rebuilt the buildings at Boys Town, they literally put the picture in the tiled wall. It is beautiful and our dad will always be in it. Eventually, he was sent to foster homes. Some were okay but most weren't. Then, one day, a family took him in, who he loved, and they loved him like a son. They were in Stuart, Iowa on a farm. Grandpa Boyd and Grandma Lillian taught him so much! He helped on the farm, went to school there and was happy. He had a sister there, our Aunt Mary. She remains close to our family. She saw dad any time she could and is wonderful to all of us kids. From the farm in Stuart, Ed finished High School at Dowling Catholic High School in Des Moines. He then enlisted in the U. S. Navy and served his Country during the Korean Conflict. His duty in the Navy was in the boiler room of a destroyer. Ed would set up card games there at night for the upper ranks on the ship. He loved the Navy so much. He would tell us about his times in Italy, Greece, Africa, etc. After the Navy, he came home and met our mom, Joy. They were married 54 years and were blessed with 6 children. One of the children, Edward Paul, died shortly after his birth. Dad started his own painting company that was very successful. He worked really hard. We remember the wonderful vacations he took us on every summer. We went to the mountains to camp, or the Ozarks, or to visit family in Nebraska and Texas. We always had a new home and everything we could want. Dad and Mom always had two gardens and mom canned and froze a lot of fruits and vegetables. We would always have great meals. Ed volunteered for the Johnston Fire Department for years. He also belonged to the Lions Club and the Legion Hall. He and Mom were very active in our Churches, both in Johnston and Grand River. Dad was always painting for them, or pulling up carpet. . . whatever the priests needed, Dad was there. Mom always did the flowers and the craft stuff for the bazaars. Dad always made time for us, at night, when he got home. Life wasn't easy, but he and mom always made it work. Special MemoriesWe remember when we were little, he made us all get in the deep end at the Camp Dodge pool. He taught us how to save ourselves in deep water, treading water for 15 minutes while holding our thumbs up and out of the water. . . LOLHe always would have some extra change to give us if we needed it with a "don't tell mom. "Camping with my mother's parents, always while washing dishes in the mountain streams, he would always be sure and lose some part of the coffee pot that would float downstream by Grandma Crees much to her dismay as she yelled at him. Dad was funny. In spite of having a horrible younger life, he overcame it. He would dance in our living room with one leg up, pointing his index fingers to the floor. . . great moves. Dad put a teen phone line in for us kids. He would answer it in a high-pitched voice all the time, telling our boyfriends we were out on a date with someone else. He took in foster boys to teach them to paint and they would live with us for a while. Dad always wanted to give back after what he went through. Dad loved to hunt, fish, and boat. He taught us how to do it all. We can remember that dad never really got to fish when he took the family with him on fishing trip vacations. Imagine 4 girls lined up on the shore of the lake, with a very young brother joining us. Everyone was casting into bushes and trees. He just went up and down the line fixing things for us, with a lot of cussing under his breath the whole time. We couldn't tell you how many times he had to replace the mailbox we backed into or our cars were wrecked and needed something fixed. We are all shocked he lived this long with all of our pranks, fishing trips, and car wrecks. Dad was always on us about our driving, right up to the day he passed away. He loved our mom, us kids, his grandchildren, and great grandchildren so much. He just loved family. He loved the home he built down here in Grand River. Dad was there alone for 15 years after mom passed away. He would mow everyday he could just to stay busy. You could find him driving over to the Dinky Diner every day for breakfast and loved to have everyone come visit him. He was one of a kind, our dad. You will be greatly missed dad by us and many friends and family. Hug mom for us and sing loud so we can hear you in the heavenly choir. . . It's your time to rest. . . Those relatives who preceded Ed in death were his parents, loving wife Joy Fay Weir, sisters, Wrennie Doud, Roberta J. Weir, and Beverly Carey, as well as his brother, Chuck Tedesco. Ed leaves to cherish his memory; Daughters Sheryl (Jay) Coleman of Urbandale, IA, Jana (Jody) Arment of Grimes, Iowa, Donella (Jim) Wright of Phoenix, AZ, and Debra (Chris) McCombs of Johnston, IA, as well as his son, Edward "Sonny" Weir of Cummings, IA. Grandchildren: Andrew (Elyse) Wright of St. Helena, CA, Jason Arment of PA, Alexandra Wright of Phoenix, AZ, Jocelyn (Joshua) Holmberg of Des Moines, IA, Joshua Arment of Des Moines, IA Chelsea (Robert) Koenigsdorf of Waukee, IA, Christopher McCombs of Johnston, IA, Cole Weir of Mountain Home, ID, Caitlyn (Jordan) Larsen of Mt. Ayr, IA. Great Grandchildren: Faye, Nell, Jaxson, Celease, Stella, Laurel, and Olivia. Also surviving Ed are his sisters Vonda Johnson of Bradenton, FL, Mary (Jack) Lonsdale of Ankeny, IA. Services will be held at St. Patrick Catholic Church in Grand River on Saturday, April 29th, 2023, at 11:00 a. m. Interment will follow the Funeral Mass at the Oak Hill Cemetery near Grand River. A luncheon will be held at the Grand River Community Center at 1:00 p. m. Memorial contributions may be made to Boys Town, P. O. Box 8000, Boys Town, NE 68010. https://www. boystown. org/ <about:blank>Online condolences may be made to the family at: www. kalefuneralhome. com <about:blank>