Phoenix, AZ March, 16, 2002
Wilfred (Will) W. Weiets, 86, passed peacefully into eternal life on March 16,2002, at the Hospice of the Valley Eckstein Center, of pneumonia, following a stroke. Wilfred was born in New Prague, MN, on July 28, 1915, to Herman F. Weiers and Helen Walerius, who have preceded him in death. Surviving are his devoted wife, Lautene (Lori) Schmit, whom be married in 1969.
He was a quiet, gentle listener, a genuine trooper, and will be remembered as a dear friend to many people. He enjoyed telling jokes and stories, and he was labeled as a comedian by the nurses and therapists in the hospital.
Because of his love for travels, he sometimes called himself a ?gypsy,? ready to travel anywhere, anytime. He and his wife have experienced the nourishment of travels to numerous foreign countries. They walked the Great Wall in China, navigated Cape Horn, visited the Holy Land, the glaciers in Alaska, and recently took a sightseeing tour of Central and Eastern Europe, enjoyed the wonders of Canada?s Atlantic Coast, and relaxed on a cruising trip to Mexico.
Accomplishments included earning a B.A. degree in philosophy from St. Thomas University, St. Paul, MN, as well as post-graduate credits. Will was ordained to the Roman Catholic priesthood in St. Paul, MN, on June 6,1942. During World War II, be served as a lieutenant in the U.S. Navy from 1944-46, and was in active duty as a chaplain in the Aleutian Islands, Alaska. He also served as chaplain at a boys? school in Red Wing, MN. As a pastor of a new parish, St. Timothy, Blame, MN, he built a contemporary church, where he was recognized for his Holy Family Program (Project Exodus) in 1963, and for his dedication to fostering a sense of community in a parish. Achieving the mission of small faith communities was one of his main objectives. He focused on educating adults who would pass this on to their children. Will retired from active ministry in 1969.
Shortly after becoming an accountant, he worked for Southwest Kenworth, in Phoenix, where he and his wife have lived since 1969. He officially retired in 1980 but continued to do financial jobs until his final retirement in 2001.