Buck DeWitt, 81

Buck DeWitt, 81, of Spirit Lake, formerly of Red Oak, passed away Saturday, Aug. 27, 2011, at Lakes Regional Healthcare in Spirit Lake.

William L. “Buck” DeWitt was born to Virgil and Ellen DeWitt Jan. 7, 1930, in Sioux City. His childhood years were spent in Woodbury County where he attended  school at Blessed Sacrament and graduated from Central High School in 1947.

Following his schooling, he entered the military and served with the US Navy.

On March 3, 1952, he was united in marriage to Joan Marie Bennett. Buck and Joan lived in Sioux City until 1966, at which time they moved to Red Oak. In 1979, they moved to Plainview, Texas, where they lived until they moved back to Iowa, retiring in Spirit Lake in 1998.

Buck spent 50 years of his life in the cattle business. He loved buying cattle and working with cattle feeders in western Iowa and in the feedlots of the Texas panhandle. He was a member of St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Spirit Lake.

Buck was preceded in death by his parents, Virgil and Ellen DeWitt.

Survivors include his wife, Joan DeWitt; children, Chris (Chuck) Hoelker, of Lawton, Bill (Katie) DeWitt, of Shoreview, Minn., Ann (Kurt) Nash, of Kingsley, Ellen DeWitt, of Longview, Wash., Joe (Cyndi) DeWitt, of Sugarland, Texas, and Peter (Amy) DeWitt, of Minnetonka, Minn.; grandchildren, Jeremy (Rachel) Hoelker, of Ashburn, Va., Kristin Hoelker, of Omaha, Ben and Joe Hoelker, both of Lawton, Emily (Jamey) Lloyd, of Litchfield, Ariz., James (Sheena) Nash, of Kinglsey, Patrick, Annie and Daniel DeWitt, of Shoreview, Patrick DeWitt, of Lansing, Mich., and Caity DeWitt, of Sugarland; great-grandchildren, Ryan Wright and Charlie Joan Hoelker, of Ashburn, Jayden and Grayson Lloyd, of Litchfield, and Beau Franco Nash, of Kinglsey; sisters, Rosanne (Posey) Young, of Denver, Colo., Mary Ellen (Pidge) Howe, of Spirit Lake, and Sarah Jorstad, of Sioux City; brother, John DeWitt, of Los Pales Verde, Calif.; several nieces; nephews; other relatives; and many friends.

Mass of Christian Burial took place Thursday, Sept. 1, at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Spirit Lake. Burial was at St. Margaret’s Cemetery in Spirit Lake.  

Turner Jenness Funeral Home of Spirit Lake was in charge of arrangements.