Buddy Westervelt

Buddy Westervelt age 85 of Waverly, IA, died Thursday, Nov. 26, 2020, at Allen Memorial Hospital in Waterloo of natural causes.

A graveside service will be held 11 a.m. Wednesday, Dec. 2, 2020 at Greenwood Cemetery in Nashua, IA.

Hugeback Johnson Funeral Home and Crematory – Olson Chapel is entrusted with arrangements. Online condolences for the Lensing family may be left at hugebackfuneralhome.com

Buddy was born on May 29, 1935, to Roy and Martha (O’Connell) Westervelt at home on a farm near Plainfield.

His mother passed away when he was just two years old, and Buddy grew up helping his dad on the farm and attending country school through the eighth grade. He then went to Plainfield High School, where he was a member of the Class of 1953.

After high school, he enlisted in the U.S. Army and one of his most memorable experiences was serving in a construction unit above the Arctic Circle, and yes, it was cold. On the way to his post, the unit had to travel through the middle of a hurricane so, in effect, the Army gave him both tropical and arctic weather all in one assignment. Before his enlistment in Virginia, he went on a walk one night and met Lois Zwanzinger.

The two eloped before Bud left for the service on April 4, 1955, and their family quickly grew as Carolyn, Mary, Twila, Dennis and Ricky were all born within a span of five years. Buddy loved being a dad, and he was very good to his children and always looked after them. He wanted them to experience growing up in a loving home.

He worked at an orchard and helped his dad on the family farm before starting farming on their own west of Nashua where they grew crops, milked cows, raised calves to feeder cattle which they finished and raised hogs from farrow to finish. The couple then proceeded to purchase a farm near New Hampton where they kept a few cows and hogs and chickens. He worked at Boos John Deere Implement for several years. Then he drove truck for the coop in New Hampton.

Buddy loved to fish, and the couple had a cabin on Lake Tetonka near Waterville, Minnesota, and it was always a good weekend when the Westervelts made the trip north.

He was a super grandpa to his grandchildren and greats, and Buddy was the spoiling kind of grandfather. If those kids needed an extra treat, they went to Grandpa, who just couldn’t say no to them.

After retiring from farming, Buddy and Lois moved to Waverly, where they enjoyed retirement until Buaddy faced serious health issues. His wife of 65 years, his children, his grandchildren and his greats will miss the quiet man who loved them and supported them, but they are thankful that he’s at peace

Bud is survived by his wife, Lois Westervelt of Waverly, IA; two sons, Dennis (Janice) Westervelt of Dubuque, IA, Rick (Penny) Westervelt of Mora, MN; three daughters, Carolyn Westervelt of Waterloo, IA, Mary (Dale) Swehla of Venice, FL, Twila (Jeff) Bobst of Waverly, IA; 18 grandchildren; 29 great-grandchildren; 12 great-great-grandchildren; one sister, Margaret Greimann of Des Moines, IA.

He was preceded in death by his parents; three sisters, Alice (Louis) Balvanz, LuEtta (Lawerence) Ohlendorf, Lois (Norman) Bohle; one brother-in-law, Louis Greimann.