Idona "Ida" Wetch

Idona "Ida" Delora (Merkel) Wetch, 97, of West Fargo went home to be with the Lord on September 3rd, 2021 surrounded by her loving family. She was born on December 12th, 1923, to Louis and Martha Merkel of Glenham, South Dakota.
Ida was born and raised in Glenham South Dakota. She was the middle child and had an older sister, Evis and a younger brother, Bob. As a child Ida loved spending time with her dad outside on the farm. She attended and graduated high school in Glenham. Ida married her husband, John Wetch, on October 5th, 1946. Their first son Doug was born in 1947. The couple soon moved to Underwood North Dakota where they had their daughter Elaine in 1948. They then had Duane, Gordon, Kirk, Terry and Jan in Bismarck and were blessed with Ronnie when they moved to Fargo.
Ida worked nights as a cook at the Highway Host in Fargo for 30 years until she retired. In her retired years, she loved caring for her grandkids and attending their events. She was a welcoming and attentive host whenever company would stop over, which was very often as her kids and grandkids were so drawn to spending time with her and John. She always had a fresh pot of coffee and could throw together an amazing hot meal as if she had been expecting you. Ida loved having company and sharing stories about her family. She was always so proud of her kids and grandkids. She also really enjoyed playing rummy, which she did very competitively, every Friday night and a few days in between. Ida loved her marbles game too, mostly because she rarely lost. She had a quick sense of humor and didn't hesitate to share it with others. She loved to laugh, and her laugh was such a beautifully contagious sound the whole room would light up and laugh with her.
Ida was a strong, selfless, humble, and loving woman everyday of her life. Her Love and Faith in the Lord is unmatched. She always looked to God and prayed over her family as often as she could. The legacy she leaves behind is her beautiful loving family who will forever be committed to keeping her memory alive. She taught us all to be hard working, kind, and humble. We were blessed to have someone who loved us so much and for so long.
She is preceded in death by her loving parents, her sister and brother, her husband John and her beautiful daughter Elaine.
Ida is survived by her children, Doug (Ann) Hegre, Duane (Joanne) Wetch, Gordon (Jeanette) Wetch, Kirk Wetch, Terry (Tami) Wetch, Jan (Doreen) Wetch, and Ronnie Wetch; son-in-law Joel Ryding; 17 grandchildren, 37 great-grandchildren and 6 great-great-grandchildren.
Memorials are preferred St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.
Funeral Service: 10:30 am Friday September 10th at West Funeral Home, West Fargo, with Visitation at an hour before the service.
Internment: Greenwood Cemetery, Tower City ND
West Funeral Home & Life Tribute Center, westfuneralhome.com