William ‘Willie’ Ludwig, 86
Fri, 06/14/2019 - 5:11pm
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July 14, 1932 —
June 12, 2019
ELMA - William “Willie” C. Ludwig, age 86, of Elma, Iowa passed away on June 12, 2019 at his home in Elma.
Mass of Christian Burial will be at 2 p.m. on Monday, June 17, 2019 at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church in Lourdes, Iowa with Father Jerry Kopacek celebrating. Burial will be in Our Lady of Lourdes Cemetery.
Visitaion will be held from 4-7 p.m. on Sunday, June 16, 2019 at Conway-Markham Funeral Home in Elma, with a Rosary at 4:30 p.m. and a Scriptural Wake Service at 7 p.m. and will continue at the church on Monday from 1-2 p.m.
Online condolences for William’s family may be left at www.conway-markhamfh .com. Memorials may be directed to the family.
William “Willie” Charles Ludwig was born on July 14, 1932 to Joseph and Mary (Chihak) Ludwig on the family farm in rural Howard County, Iowa. He attended country schools and Our Lady of Lourdes School in Lourdes and graduated from Immaculate Conception Academy in Elma in 1950.
He worked on the family farm until he entered the U.S. Army in 1953. Willie served his country in the Korean Conflict, receiving his honorable discharge in 1955. He worked at Link-Belt Speeder in Cedar Rapids, Iowa for two years. He then returned to the family farm until his retirement in 1996. He was united in marriage to Rita Witter on April 20, 1974 at St. Francis Church in Rochester, Minn.
Willie enjoyed tinkering in his shop, golfing and watching basketball and baseball, especially his nieces’ and nephews’ games. He also enjoyed traveling, especially visiting Pocepice, Czech Republic, the home of his Chihak ancestors. He enjoyed helping on the farm and kept an eye on the hogs. He was a lifelong member of Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church, was very active in the church community and was a member of the Knights of Columbus. He served on the Howard County Pork Producers board and the Howard County FSA Committee.
Willie is survived by his wife, Rita of Elma; brothers, Joseph (Elsie) Ludwig and John (Connie) Ludwig, all of Elma; sisters, Mary Bauer of Cedar Falls, Iowa and Josephine (Ray) Mehlberger of Marion, Iowa; sister-in-law, Marge Ludwig of Elma; and several nieces and nephews, including Joel Fitch and family of Elma.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Joseph and Mary Ludwig; brothers, Francis and Father Raphael Ludwig; sister, Mildred Kobliska; and brothers-in-law, Glen Bauer and Leo Kobliska.
