Arnold D. Wacker

  Arnold Dale Wacker, 77, passed away on Monday, August 1, 2022, in a Sioux City hospital.  A memorial service and burial in Eastern Iowa will be announced at a later date.

  Arnie was born on March 27, 1945, in Monticello, IA, to Cecilia and Erwin Wacker.  He graduated from Monticello High School, attended tool-and-dye school in Chicago, and served in the U.S. Army as an infantryman.  Following active duty in Vietnam, during which he was awarded a Purple Heart, Arnie was a drill sergeant (E-5) at Ft. Leonard Wood, MO, until his honorable discharge from active duty in 1968.  He then worked in Cedar Rapids at Miehle-Goss-Dexter (later Rockwell Goss) until the early-1990s.

  Arnie married Mary Ellen Ellyson in Marion, IA, in April 1970, and they, with their children, Tom and Rebecca, made their home in Shellsburg, IA.  During these years Arnie served as mayor of the town, on the Shellsburg Volunteer Fire Dept, and was a member of Zion Lutheran Church.  In 1996, the couple moved to Newcastle, NE where Arnie owned and operated Arnie’s Cafe.

  Arnie moved to Cedar Rapids in 2000 and worked for Bill Whitters until his retirement.  He was a member of First Lutheran Church where he was an usher and donated his excellent cooking skills to the church’s Saturday Evening Meal Program.  Following a series of injuries and illnesses, Arnie moved to Ponca, NE, to be near his family.  He lived there until his final illness.

  Throughout his life, Arnie worked hard and played hard.  He was adept at carpentry, electrical work, and plumbing, completely renovating two homes.  He loved to fish, hang out with his buddies, golf in his brother’s “Wacker Open” in California, take care of his yard, flowers, and vegetables, and cheer on the Miami Dolphins.  He was a dedicated garage-sale guy and collected antique furniture and toys over his lifetime.  Arnie was a good and humble man who made friends wherever he went.  He was honest to a fault, and no one ever questioned where they stood with him.

  He is survived by his children, Tom (Christine) Wacker of Le Mars; Rebecca Carlson (Ron Johns) of Sioux City; grandchildren Kasey Syverson (Louis Talay) of Sydney AU, and Owen and Samuel Wacker of Le Mars; former wife Mary Ellen Ellyson (Joe Nitzke); sisters Margaret Newman and Barbara Wacker; numerous nieces and nephews; and his wild and crazy dog, Ruby, to whom he was devoted.  He was preceded in death by his parents, two brothers, Wayne and Carlyle Wacker, and two sisters, Helen Hall and Sally Johnson.