Edwin J. Vittetoe

Edwin J. Vittetoe

Washington

Edwin J. Vittetoe, age 95, of Washington, Iowa, died Friday, December 6, 2024 at Halcyon House.

Funeral services will take place 11:00 a.m. on Wednesday, December 11, 2024, at St. James Catholic Church with Father Troy Richmond officiating. Interment with military honors will follow at Elm Grove Cemetery. The family will be present to receive friends from 10:00 to 11:00 a.m. on Wednesday before the service. Memorials have been established for St. James Catholic Church and Halcyon House. Family condolences may be sent for Ed’s family online at www.jonesfh.com or to 1415 Ridgeview Ct., Washington, IA 52353.

Ed was born on June 17, 1929 in Harper, Iowa, to John and Irene (Peiffer) Vittetoe. He attended St. Elizabeth Catholic School in Harper, Iowa. He married Diana Sieren on August 12, 1950. He was a veteran of the Korean Conflict. He was a lifelong farmer in the Keota-Harper and Ainsworth areas, then south of Washington since 1960.

Ed was a devout member of St. James Catholic Church in Washington and had served as an usher. He was a simple farmer. He loved the sight of new baby calves running in an open field, the smell of fresh mowed hay, and the feeling of dirt on his hands. He loved life and always felt it was a privilege to be a farmer and his own boss.

Ed built and maintained a wildlife habitat on his farm, raising elk and whitetail deer. He enjoyed observing nature in all its wonders and seasons. He enjoyed following sports and having coffee with his friends. And especially time spent with family. He was awed about new farming methods, and witnessed the evolution of changes from working horses in the ‘30s to lending a hand to a grandson who uses GPS-guided implements.

Ed always kept a positive attitude and never gave up, taking one day at a time. He was a man of courage. He battled prostate cancer for over 27 years. He provided insight to the doctors and staff at the University of Iowa Hospital by testing new drugs and protocol to determine their effectiveness on him and for use on others.

He was truly loved and will be missed greatly by all of this family and friends.

Ed is survived by Jane Dallmeyer (Kent) of Washington, IA, Nancy Schaeffer (Thomas) of St. Louis, MO, Marcia Reese (Ted) of Scottsdale, AZ, and Ronald of Washington, IA, and six grandchildren and seventeen great-grandchildren. He is also survived by sisters Rose Mae Leinen and Virginia Weber. He was preceded in death by his parents, wife Diana in 2020, brothers Richard, James, Alvin, and Raymond, and sister Dorothy Sieren White.