Obituary for William Anthony Reuter
William Anthony Reuter, 97, of Le Mars, Iowa, passed away on Saturday, May 6, 2023, at Accura HealthCare of Le Mars. Mass of Christian Burial will take place at 10:30 a.m. on Friday, May 19, 2023, at All Saints Catholic Parish – St. Joseph Church in Le Mars. Father Doug Klein will celebrate Mass. Burial with military honors will take place at Calvary Cemetery in Le Mars. Visitation will begin at 2:00 p.m. on Thursday, May 18, 2023, at the Mauer – Johnson Funeral Home in Le Mars. The family will be present from 4-7 p.m. with a Rosary at 4:00 p.m. and a Scriptural Prayer Service at 7:00 p.m. There will also be one hour of visitation at the church prior to Mass on Friday.
William “Bill” Anthony Reuter was born on June 24, 1925, in Le Mars, Iowa, the son of Anthony and Anna (Nemmers) Reuter. He attended St. Joseph's School until the age of 17 when he enlisted in the Navy. One June 4, 1943, he left for Farragut, Idaho for basic training. From Idaho he made his way to the Marshall.Islands in February 1944, where his first ship assignment was the USS Manilla Bay. He was an electrician on the USS Manilla Bay and part of the Argosy Radar Unit. He was in the Leyte Gulf battle which was considered a turning point in the Pacific and allowed the US to take back control of the Philippines. After the USS Manilla Bay was severely damaged in a bombing attack, he attended electrical school and was reassigned to the USS Princeton. He was discharged on June 19, 1946. Bill finished his high school degree by correspondence. On June 2, 2009, he was on a Midwest Honor Flight to Washington, DC to see the WWII Memorial. He was also selected for a Dream Flight on Sept 1, 2021, where he flew in an open cockpit of a 1943 Boeing Stearman PT17 Biplane. He will forever be a hero to his children and grandchildren.
When Bill came back to Iowa, he attended college and worked in the Le Mars area. He met his future wife, Arlene Ten Napel, and was united in marriage at the Assumption Catholic Church Rectory in Merrill, Iowa on January 30, 1949. He worked at Luken Furniture Store where he became interested in floor covering. In 1952, he opened his own floor covering store and continued to do floor covering until the age of 80. His two sons and several of his grandsons followed in his footsteps of floor covering.
He was a member of All Saints Catholic Parish in Le Mars. He enjoyed his long family vacations, spending time at Okoboji, his large flourishing garden and winters in Alamo, Texas. When he semi-retired at the age of 65, he enjoyed doing woodworking and blessed his family with his priceless creations. He loved sports and especially enjoyed watching his children and grandchildren play. In high school, he played basketball and baseball which he continued to play on the ship during the war. He loved playing cards with family and friends. He taught his children and grandchildren the importance of church and working hard. When you did a job, you did it the right way the first time. There was nothing you could not accomplish if you set your mind to it.
He will be lovingly remembered by his children, Randy (Darlene) Reuter of Sioux Falls, SD, Linda (Al) Kellen of Cherokee, IA, Shari (Rocky) Fey of Le Mars, IA, Mary (Gary) Ellensohn of Le Mars, IA and Barry (Gail) Reuter of Raleigh, NC; 20 grandchildren; 37 great-grandchildren; and 6 great-great-grandchildren; and a sister-in-law, Mary Jean Swartout of Le Mars, IA.
Bill was preceded in death by his parents; wife of 70 years, Arlene on April 4, 2019; 5 brothers, Ralph, Roger, Melvin, Anthony and Joseph; a sister, Madeline Neubrand; 5 sisters-in-law; a brother in-law; and several nieces and nephews.
William “Bill” Anthony Reuter was born on June 24, 1925, in Le Mars, Iowa, the son of Anthony and Anna (Nemmers) Reuter. He attended St. Joseph's School until the age of 17 when he enlisted in the Navy. One June 4, 1943, he left for Farragut, Idaho for basic training. From Idaho he made his way to the Marshall.Islands in February 1944, where his first ship assignment was the USS Manilla Bay. He was an electrician on the USS Manilla Bay and part of the Argosy Radar Unit. He was in the Leyte Gulf battle which was considered a turning point in the Pacific and allowed the US to take back control of the Philippines. After the USS Manilla Bay was severely damaged in a bombing attack, he attended electrical school and was reassigned to the USS Princeton. He was discharged on June 19, 1946. Bill finished his high school degree by correspondence. On June 2, 2009, he was on a Midwest Honor Flight to Washington, DC to see the WWII Memorial. He was also selected for a Dream Flight on Sept 1, 2021, where he flew in an open cockpit of a 1943 Boeing Stearman PT17 Biplane. He will forever be a hero to his children and grandchildren.
When Bill came back to Iowa, he attended college and worked in the Le Mars area. He met his future wife, Arlene Ten Napel, and was united in marriage at the Assumption Catholic Church Rectory in Merrill, Iowa on January 30, 1949. He worked at Luken Furniture Store where he became interested in floor covering. In 1952, he opened his own floor covering store and continued to do floor covering until the age of 80. His two sons and several of his grandsons followed in his footsteps of floor covering.
He was a member of All Saints Catholic Parish in Le Mars. He enjoyed his long family vacations, spending time at Okoboji, his large flourishing garden and winters in Alamo, Texas. When he semi-retired at the age of 65, he enjoyed doing woodworking and blessed his family with his priceless creations. He loved sports and especially enjoyed watching his children and grandchildren play. In high school, he played basketball and baseball which he continued to play on the ship during the war. He loved playing cards with family and friends. He taught his children and grandchildren the importance of church and working hard. When you did a job, you did it the right way the first time. There was nothing you could not accomplish if you set your mind to it.
He will be lovingly remembered by his children, Randy (Darlene) Reuter of Sioux Falls, SD, Linda (Al) Kellen of Cherokee, IA, Shari (Rocky) Fey of Le Mars, IA, Mary (Gary) Ellensohn of Le Mars, IA and Barry (Gail) Reuter of Raleigh, NC; 20 grandchildren; 37 great-grandchildren; and 6 great-great-grandchildren; and a sister-in-law, Mary Jean Swartout of Le Mars, IA.
Bill was preceded in death by his parents; wife of 70 years, Arlene on April 4, 2019; 5 brothers, Ralph, Roger, Melvin, Anthony and Joseph; a sister, Madeline Neubrand; 5 sisters-in-law; a brother in-law; and several nieces and nephews.