Lela Marie Wenig

1949 - 2026

Lela Marie (Schaub) Wenig, 76, of Dorchester, Iowa, died after a brave fight with pancreatic cancer on Saturday, Feb. 14, 2026, surrounded by her family in her home that she helped design and build.

She was born on May 8, 1949, to Henry and Juanita (Lowe) Schaub in Lincoln, Illinois. Since it was Mother's Day, her mom enjoyed a free day in the hospital. She was baptized at the Christ Lutheran Church, a church that her grandfather and father helped build, in Mason City, Illinois, on Father's Day, June 19, 1949. She was confirmed at St. Lukes Lutheran Church in Richland Center, Wisc.

In February of 1959, her family moved to Richland Center on the Carl Valenta farm on English Ridge and named their farm Schaub's Green Ridge Farms. Her elementary years were spent at the Lowery, Putman, and Washington country schools until attending high school in Richland Center, graduating in 1967. Lela was a member of the Sabin Livewires 4-H Club. During the summer between her junior and senior year, she traveled to Bloomington, Illinois, to work as a candy striper in the hospital. She went on to become a registered nurse, graduating in 1970 as part of the last class of the Saint Francis School of Nursing in La Crosse, Wisc. After she achieved her RN degree, she married Duane Wenig on June 13, 1970, at St. Paul's United Methodist Church in Waukon, Iowa. It was love at first sight when they met at the Rivoli Theater in La Crosse. They lived in Richland Center where she worked in the surgical department at the Richland Hospital and welcomed their first child.

In 1972, the little family moved to Dorchester, Iowa, to purchase the Wenig family farm. From 1973 to 1979, they welcomed four more children. On the farm, Lela was a caretaker for the dairy cows, pigs, and sheep, delivering and nursing them back to health as needed. She was talented and shared these talents with her children. She enjoyed gardening and preserving produce, cooking and baking, decorating cakes, sewing clothes and quilts, and reading. Lela also homeschooled their children.

When the children were older, she was on call to deliver babies at Tweeten Memorial Hospital in Spring Grove, Minn. After the hospital closed, Lela worked at Gundersen Tweeten Care Center in Spring Grove, Caledonia Care and Rehab in Caledonia, and as the school nurse for the Spring Grove and Mabel-Canton school districts. Lela loved to share her knowledge of nursing with others and taught CPR and CNA classes for many people of all ages and employees of local businesses. She also loved conversing with nurses and doctors that cared for her. She retired from nursing in 2017.

In retirement, she enjoyed traveling and spending time with her family and friends. Lela was an election worker at the voting polls in Dorchester for many years. Her faith was very important to her. She and Duane assisted in building several churches in the community and supporting missionary work in Guatemala and Bogota, Columbia.

Lela is survived by her husband of 55 years, Duane; children - Heather (Paul) Gray of Spring Grove, Heath (Holly) Wenig of Dorchester, Heidi (Ken) Waldenberger of Spring Grove, Holly (Jake) Wieser of Houston, Minn., and Hope (Trent) Turner of Spring Grove; grandchildren - Benjamin (Becky Vang) Gray of Hopkins, Minn., Hannah (Malachi Fyksen) Gray of Spring Grove, Ezekial, Grace, and Isaiah Wenig of Dorchester, Kendra and Garrett Waldenberger of Spring Grove, Amber (Zach) Clark of Houston, Whitney (Alex) Hammond of New Richmond, Wisc., Wyatt (Jordan Gettleman) Wieser of Caledonia, Madeline (Clayton Little) Wieser of Lansing, Iowa, Easton and McKenna Wieser of Houston, Reese (Brielle Colsch) Crouch of Stewartville, Minn., and Addison and Tyler Turner of Spring Grove; great-grandchildren - Kaisen, Hadlee and Ellie Clark of Houston, and Hank and Levi Hammond of New Richmond; siblings - Linda (Myron) Peterson of Richland Center, William D. Schaub of Muscoda, Wisc., Loretta (Daniel) Ewing of Richland Center, and Richard (Betty Jean) Schaub of LaFarge, Wisc.; in-laws - Kay Wenig of Rockford, Illinois, Barbara Boyle of Iowa Falls, Iowa, and Dorothy (Al) Oesterle of Rockland, Wisc.; special cousin, William R. Schaub of Hartsburg, Illinois; godson, Steve (Nikki) Oesterle, Rockland, Wisc.; and much extended family.

Lela is proceeded in death by her parents, Henry and Juanita Schaub; father and mother-in-law, Franklin and Erma Wenig; brothers-in-law and sister-in-law, Charles Boyle Jr., Romaine and Sandra Wenig, and Roland Wenig.

The McCormick and Mengis funeral homes will be assisting the family with arrangements. A visitation will be on Sunday, Feb. 22, 2026, from 3 to 6 p.m. at the Four Seasons Community Center, 900 N. Kingston St., Caledonia. A Celebration of Life will be held on Monday, Feb. 23, with a service at 11 a.m., and lunch to follow at the Community Center. Burial will follow at 2:30 p.m. at St. John's United Methodist Church Cemetery in Dorchester, right next to the six-generation farm that she has lived on since 1972.

Memorials are preferred to Lela's favorite missionary Children's Vision International, Inc., PO Box 380, Bangor, WI 54614. Condolences for the family can be sent to 498 Dorchester Dr., Dorchester, IA 52140.

The family would like to thank the Emplify Health ER staff, doctors, and nurses, PA Raquel Ristau, and all the staff at WinnMed Hospice.