Wendell Harold, 96

Wendell Byron Harold, 96, Omaha, Neb., formerly of Red Oak, passed away Friday, Dec. 5, 2024, at his home.
He was the son of Burl and Mary Harold. He was born in an Iowa farmhouse in the Henderson/Emerson area on May 22, 1928.
Wendell attended Henderson High School. After high school, he helped on his parents’ farm. In 1951, he entered the U.S. Army. After 14 weeks of basic training at Fort Riley, Kansas, he briefly returned home to Iowa before leaving for his U.S. Army duty. Wendell was headed for Korea. He initially landed in Yokohama, Japan and then on to Korea.
In Korea, Wendell was in the First Calvary Division, 4.2 heavy mortar unit. On October 17, 1951, he was wounded in a firefight battle with the enemy. He was airlifted to Tokyo, Japan and hospitalized for seven months. He was awarded the Bronze Star and Purple Heart. Wendell was then flown to Fort Carson, Colorado to the Army Hospital. After several months, he returned to active duty. He drove an ambulance for the hospital motor pool and also worked in the medical supply office. After discharge, he returned to Iowa and helped on his parents’ farm.
On Sept. 8, 1957, he was united in marriage with Janet Sue Rorabaugh of Stanton, and they lived in Red Oak. They were married 63 years until the time of Janet’s passing. They had two daughters, Teresa and Linda. He worked for 32 years for Natural Gas Pipeline near Emerson. After retirement he worked part-time for the Iowa Parks Department in Red Oak. Wendell and Janet moved to Omaha, Neb., in 2003.
Wendell enjoyed flowers and gardening, especially roses and tomatoes. He loved Ford vehicles and John Deere tractors. He enjoyed sports, especially the Iowa State Cyclones, Kansas City Royals and Kansas City Chiefs. He loved music, especially the KMA Sunday program. His love for Christmas came from his mother Mary. She made Christmas a special time for each of the eight kids celebrating the birth of our savior. Wendell was a lighthearted and sidesplitting man. He was famous for his monkey face and live action rendering of “I’m a Little Teapot.” He was a member of the First Christian Church and served as a Deacon for many years. He was a member of the Red Oak Court of Honor, the American Legion, and Veterans of Foreign War (VFW). He was a lifetime member of Disabled American Veterans (DAV).
Wendell was preceded in death by his wife, Janet Harold; parents, Burl and Mary Harold; son-in-law, Rick Placek; brothers, Ruel, Virgil (Phyllis), and Stanley; sisters, Florene Rife (Everett), Leta Burnison (Richard), Neta Lewis (Russell), and many, many nieces and nephews.
He is survived by daughters, Teresa Placek of Omaha, Neb., and Linda Calder (Alex) of Lee’s Summit, Mo.; grandson, Zachary of Lee’s Summit, Mo.; brother, Leland Harold (Patricia); sister-in-law, Phyllis Harold; and many, many nieces and nephews.
Funeral services will be held at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 14, 2024, at the First Christian Church, Red Oak. Burial will be in the Evergreen Cemetery. Visitation with the family will be held one hour prior to the funeral. Memorials are suggested to the First Christian Church or the Montgomery County Memorial Court of Honor.
Nelson-Boylan-LeRette Funeral Chapel is in charge of arrangements.