Dennis Wilson: Octogenarian Extraordinaire

Dennis Wilson of Burlington knew it was going to be a good year. On his 80th birthday, which was October 6th of this year, he shot a 77 in 18 holes of golf. It was the first time he had ever golfed his age (or lower). His glasses, with only one lens, probably helped. He had cataract surgery in his left eye, restoring it to near perfect vision. His right eye continued to need correction (cataract surgery on it is scheduled for September) so instead of having skewered vision or asking the doctor for proper glasses, he had the lens taken out of the left side of his photo-gray glasses. He doesn't care if it makes him look off balance. At 80, going on 21, his balance is fine.

He hopped in his late model Corvette and roared home, whistling and singing to 80s music from the Corvette's rich sound system. When he arrived at his house that overlooks the Mississippi River, he called his 76 year young girlfriend in Mt. Pleasant, and discussed their upcoming trip to Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic over Thanksgiving. They planned on doing a lot of dancing and singing to tropical music.

Dennis has been to 77 countries and eventually hopes to visit all 250. An extrovert by nature, and having lost his wife 10 years ago, he wants to experience life to its fullest.

In January, Dennis and his girlfriend, who also lost her husband, plan to go to the Barrett-Jackson Auto Auction in Scottsdale, Arizona. It's a huge, week long event. They both love cars. In addition to Dennis' Corvette, he still has a '76 Porsche 914 that he used as a work car in sales years ago. Over the years he's had six Porsches, a Ferrari and a Maserati. Oh, yes, he has ordered a new Corvette. Not to be outdone, his girlfriend has a Mazda Miata. While at the car show they plan to take in some live music and do some major dancing. The Eagles will be on stage along with Foreigner. I'm not making this up.

Dennis is heavily involved with the Preservation Station in Burlington. He is their treasurer and works right along with the rest of the crew. Their current project is salvaging the reusable interior furnishings from Iowa Wesleyan's old gym in Mt. Pleasant before the wrecking ball demolishes the structure. Such items as the gym's maple flooring, Tiger emblems, radiators, heaters, copper piping, oak flooring from the walking track, lockers, Butler Doors, wainscoting, trophy cabinet, light fixtures, and the building's cornerstone which may contain a time capsule, are being removed and made available for resale at the Preservation Station, 213 Valley St. in Burlington. Hours open to the public are 9:00 am - 1:00 pm on Saturdays. The Preservation Station is the main funding mechanism for Burlington's Heritage Trust, which awards grants for the restoration of old houses and commercial buildings, for example the Capitol Theater in downtown Burlington.

Dennis attended Iowa Wesleyan College for two years. He had a PE class in swimming at the old gym, and was in on the ground floor when Iowa Wesleyan started a wrestling program. He wrestled in that gym. The team wasn't very good, but it was a start. The most famous competitor in the gym was the girls' basketball team that Dennis followed avidly. So being involved in salvage operations at the old gym takes him back to his college days at Iowa Wesleyan. It's a little sad, seeing such a fine structure about to be demolished, even if it is over 100 years old. But like the gym, with its furnishings being repurposed, Dennis is looking forward to bright, happy days. Despite being 80 years young.

Have a good story? Call or text Curt Swarm in Mt. Pleasant at 319-217-0526, email him at curtswarm@yahoo.com, or visit his website at www.empty-nest-words-photos-and-frames.com

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