Wendell Wertz

Wendell Ray Wertz

Oct. 9, 1934 - Sept. 8, 2014

TRENTON, Neb. -- Wendell Ray Wertz passed away on Sept. 8, 2014, at Trenton.

He was born on Oct. 9, 1934, to Mainard Coin and Irena Alice (Brown) Wertz in Trenton. He grew up on the farm and dairy in Trenton and attended Trenton High School. He graduated from the University of Nebraska, College of Agriculture in 1957.

He married his high school sweetheart, Verna Jean Moss in 1955 and together they had three sons, Martin, Ronald and Kelly. Wendell loved his land and livestock and enjoyed help from Verna, all three sons, and others who worked for him throughout the years. If he was not out farming on his beloved John Deere tractors, he could be found working on a special project in the shop where he loved to create and repair. He was active in farming until his health would no longer allow, but still spent much of his time supervising repair projects in the shop.

Flying was always another love of Wendell's and he owned several different planes over the years. His family took many flying vacations, and he loved to give family and friends airplane rides in the skies over Trenton.

He enjoyed football and worked the chain gang at Trenton High school football games for many years. On Saturday's every fall, Wendell would have every radio on the farm tuned in to the Cornhusker football game no matter what he was doing and would usually get to Lincoln for a game or two every year. If the game was on TV, that was always a good excuse to take a break and get some people together for a Husker game party.

He was a lifelong member of Trenton United Church of Christ, a member of the Prairie Statesmen Barbershop Chorus, Past Master and 50-plus year member of Culbertson Masonic Lodge, 174 AF&AM, 50-plus-year member of Eastern Star, Hastings Scottish Rite, York Rite, Tehama Western Shrine Club, Tehama Mobile Nobles, and Past Potentate of Tehama Shrine in 1992. He sponsored many children so they could get medical help at the Shriners Hospital for Crippled Children. Wendell also served on the Trenton School Board, Trenton Village Board and Trenton ambulance squad.

He is preceded in death by his parents; brother, Arthur; son, Marty and grandson, Dustin.

He is survived by his wife, Verna; sons, Ron and wife, Karen of Trenton and Kelly and wife, Roni of Great Bend, Kansas; grandchildren, Jennifer Vail of Aurora, Colorado, Keelan and Kelsi of Great Bend, Kansas; great-grandchildren, Ryder Wertz of Hays, Kansas, and Peyton West of Aurora, Colorado.

Services will be on Wednesday, Sept. 10 at 10:30 a.m. at United Church of Christ in Trenton, Nebraska. Burial with Masonic Rites will be at the Trenton Cemetery.

Visitation will be at the Trenton Funeral Home, in Trenton.

Herrmann Jones Funeral Jones is in charge of arrangements.