Philipp Wanner

Philipp Heinrich Wanner, 88, of Dumont, Iowa, passed away Friday, April 9, 2021, at the Dumont Wellness Center. He was born on May 10, 1932, in Detroit, Michigan, to Carl and Gerda (Bloen) Wanner. At the age of six months Philipp moved to Germany and lived there for nearly fourteen years, when he came back to the United States, arriving at Ellis Island. Philipp served his country in the United States Army during the Korean War. He met Shirley Darlene DeVries, and they were married on March 5, 1954, in Aplington. Philipp spent the majority of his working career in sales. He worked for Dick Vogel at the funeral home and furniture store in Dumont, Morey Nassif in Cedar Rapids, H.E. Sorenson in Des Moines, Flexsteel in Pennsylvania, Corian, and Harvester Systems out of Nashua, and owned and operated Phil's Fine Furniture in Dumont, purchasing the former Vogel furniture store. He was also a bricklayer, helping build churches in Radcliffe and Hubbard, worked for Oliver in Charles City, worked for Harm Hemmen Gas station, managed a La Quinta in Tennessee, worked for Sukup Manufacturing, unloaded train cars of coal on the weekends and delivered Sunday papers for the Waterloo Courier. Philipp finished his working career at Murray Feiss Lighting, traveling to numerous states in the Midwest. Philipp was a Mason, a Shriner and a Gideon. He was a member of the Dumont American Legion and the Dumont Reformed Church, where he taught Sunday School and was the Sunday School superintendent for many years. Philipp was an avid golfer and enjoyed bowling, hunting, and fishing. He loved being on the water whether it was boating, skiing or swimming, it didn't matter. Philipp greatly enjoyed traveling nationally and internationally, especially numerous trips to Germany. He even found time to be Mayor of Dumont two different times. Philipp will be missed by his wife of sixty-seven years, Shirley Wanner of Dumont, children Gay Palmer of Latimer, Gwen (Mike) Thornburgh of Dumont, Glenda (Steve) Hatfield of Earlham, and Gary (Lori) Wanner of Williamsburg, son-in-law Rod Muller of Hampton, sister Maria Blunck of California, brother Uwe (Donna) Kladde of Arizona, brother-in-law Raymond (Emma) DeVries of Greene, sister-in-law Patsy (Lloyd) Grandon of Dike, grandchildren Sonia, Terry (Beth), Chase (Lisa), Sandy (Steven), Heidi (Jared), Shane, Sarah, Lane, Derek (Kasi), Wade (Kortney), and Leah (Griffin), great-grandchildren Alex, Jorge, Mason, Josiah, Bode, Ethan, Aaron, Teagan, Cora, Blake, Landon, River, Archer, Adele and Preston, along with numerous nieces, nephews, cousins and their families. He was preceded in death by his parents Carl and Gerda, stepfather, son Terry Phil Wanner, daughter Brenda Sue Wanner, daughter Gerda Ann Muller, son-in-law Ron Palmer, in-laws Carl and Stella DeVries, brothers-in-law Rudy Blunck and Dick Froning and sister-in-law Janice DeVries. Visitation will be held from 2:00 p.m. until 5:00 p.m., Sunday, April 11, 2021, at the Sietsema Vogel Funeral Home in Dumont. Graveside services will be held at 11:00 a.m., Monday, April 12, 2021, at the Dumont Cemetery. Family and friends should bring a chair. Memorial contributions may be sent to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Alzheimer's Association and Dementia Society of America.