Dennis Wesenberg

Dennis Wesenberg, 82, of Dows, passed away on Sunday, November 24, 2024 at Scenic Manor in Iowa Falls. Funeral services will be 1:30 p.m. on Friday, November 29, 2024 at the First Lutheran Church in Dows with a time of fellowship to follow. Visitation will be an hour before the service. The service will be live streamed on the the First Lutheran Church's Facebook page, www.facebook.com/dowsfirstlutheran. Funeral arrangements are under the guidance of the Surls Funeral Home in Iowa Falls.
Dennis Dee Wesenberg was born on February 11, 1942, in Franklin County, Iowa, to Richard "Dick" and Velma (Johnson) Wesenberg of rural Dows. He attended the Popejoy schools and was a member of the final graduating class of Popejoy High School. Dennis' family worked hard together but always found time to travel and explore the country.
Wartburg College played an important role in Dennis' life. Not only did he receive his B.A. in music education, he also met his wife, Phyllis Remmers, while attending music classes and playing trumpet in the Wartburg Band. It is rumored that he and his friends from Beta House were quite the practical jokers, at one point wrapping a professor's piano in toilet paper and helping a skunk find its way into the girls' dorm. After his graduation in 1963, he married Phyllis, and they began a life of teaching, farming, and raising a family.
Dennis loved music, and he loved a production. He was rarely content to put on a regular concert or stage a simple musical. He was always looking for a way to elevate the level of entertainment. The audience might be surprised to find him entering the gym for the variety show through the back window, delighted by a living Christmas tree choir, or shocked to find the witch flying through the air. His love of production didn't end there. If there was a way to add fireworks, literally or figuratively, to any event, he would discover it.
Although he was a dedicated teacher, Dennis was also drawn to farming and architecture. He worked the land of the family farm outside of Dows, Iowa, for many years. Never one to sit idle, he also designed and built a home for his family that revealed his ingenuity and included a firepole, a zipline, and a perfect spot for Christmas memories. Just as he intended, it became a place filled with the music and laughter of a growing family.
Every summer, Dennis would step away from farming for a week or two and would take out the atlas to plan the next family vacation. Although he enjoyed discovering great hiking trails and unique sights all over the country, his favorite spot was the Rocky Mountains, the rougher the jeep trail, the better. He was often known to wake the family at the crack of dawn to get a jump on the day's adventure, often saying, "Move 'em out, head 'em out!" as the tent was coming down on anyone still sleeping.
Dennis was a man of quiet but solid faith. It was this faith and the love of family and friends that supported him during his diagnosis with Parkinson's Disease in 1990, and the challenging years since. He was not one to complain of the difficulties life presented but instead continued to live each day as a gift.
Dennis is survived by his beloved wife of 61 years, Phyllis; his four children, Mina (Joel) Fantz of Fayette, IA, Dayce (Tim) McAndrews of Onalaska, WI, Sheree (Xenofon) Koutsoukos of Franklin, TN, and Dane (Hillary) Wesenberg of Chatfield, MN; ten grandchildren, Caroline, Helena, and Weston (Callie) Fantz; Kenneth and Emma McAndrews; Demetrios and Denise Koutsoukos; Nora, Anja, and Crosby Wesenberg; his sister, Marsha (James) Gronewold; nephews Derrick (Michelle) Gronewold and Darin (Melissa) Gronewold; brother-in-law Allyn Remmers; many other relatives and friends. He is preceded in death by his parents.
In lieu of flowers and other mementos, the family requests those wishing to express sympathy to consider a contribution that will be directed toward First Lutheran Church and the KLMJ Sunday morning worship programming.