WAYNE H. GASTON
Funeral services for Wayne
Gaston, 95, of Aurelia, will be10:30 A.M. Wednesday, July 6, 2011 at the
First United Methodist Church in Aurelia, with Pastor Missy Brown
officiating. Visitation will be Tuesday from 4:00 P.M. until 7:00 P.M.
with the family present at the First United Methodist Church. The Redig
Funeral Home of Aurelia is in charge of arrangements.
Wayne Henderson Gaston was born April 7,
1916 at Bora, Kansas, the son of Hubert and Edna (Samuelson) Gaston.
As a teenager, Wayne made a commitment to
follow Christ and faithfully served him throughout his life. He
graduated from high school in Centralia, KS in 1934 and had the special
experience of attending his 70th class reunion in 2004 with
his two sisters, brother, and daughter for a wonderful time of
reminiscing and visiting their childhood homes.
After high school, Wayne attended a mechanic
school in Kansas. After his parents lost their farm in the Dust Bowl and
Depression days, the family moved to the Peterson, IA area to be near
relatives.
Wayne did body and fender work in Storm Lake
and Jackson, MN for a short while, then worked for various farmers in
the Aurelia and Alta areas. It was while he was working in the Alta area
that he started attending Elk Baptist Church north of Alta where he met
his future wife, Bernadine. Wayne entered the Army on February 19, 1942
and served in North Africa and Italy until his discharge on August 15,
1945. When he returned from the service, he and Bernadine were married
at Elk Baptist Church on November 14, 1945. They farmed in the Peterson
area for three years and then finished their farming years north of
Aurelia, retiring in 1980 and moving to Aurelia.
Wayne was active in the United Methodist
Church where he and Bernadine, along with Carl and Naomi Fuhrman,
initiated a scholarship loan program to college bound students. He was
a faithful member of Kiwanis and American Legion and a Peer mentor in
the early 90's; he enjoyed mowing, planting flowers, and watering trees
at the church; and for many years he planted and watered the flowers at
the town gazebo. He was given a Governor's volunteer award in 1987.
Wayne was very civic minded and enjoyed helping wherever he saw a need.
He was excited to be part of the WWII veterans who experienced the
Siouxland Honor Flight to Washington D.C. in 2007. He was humbled to be
named Citizen of the Year in 2008.
Wayne died Sunday, July 3, 2011 at the Buena
Vista Regional Medical Center, Storm Lake, IA.
He was preceded in death by his parents,
brother Jim Gaston, brother Bill Gaston, and his beloved wife, Bernadine
Nelson Gaston in 2002.
Those blessed to have been a part of his
life include his daughter, Carol and her husband Lyle Rasmussen of
Waverly, IA, daughter Dr. Janet Gaston and her husband David Fattig of
Alamo, CA, daughter Kay and her husband Randy Jipp of Aurelia;
grandchildren: Paul and Paula Rasmussen of McGregor, IA, Jill and Eric
Groezinger of Wheaton, IL, Joshua and Amber Jipp of Atlanta, GA, Emily
Jipp of Minneapolis, MN, Eric Fattig and Greg Fattig of Alamo, CA, and
Brian Fattig of Davis, CA. Great-grandchildren are Taylor Rose and Nora
Rasmussen, Nathan and Brooke Groezinger, and Josiah Wayne Jipp.
Other survivors include his sisters, Betty Mugasis of Pueblo, CO and
Gracia Davenport of Sioux City, IA, sister-in-law Janan Gaston of
Wauwatosa, WI, brother-in-law Rev. Alvin and Ardys Nelson of Albert Lea,
MN, sister-in-law Marian Nelson of Lady Lake, FL, and many nieces and
nephews.
