Walter P. Pacha

Walter P. Pacha, 94, formerly of Brighton, died Wednesday, Sept. 7, 2016, at Halcyon House in Washington.

A funeral mass will be held at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 10, in St. Joseph Church in East Pleasant Plain with the Rev. Robert Striegel officiating. Burial will be in St. Joseph Cemetery in East Pleasant Plain at a later date. Prayers for a Christian Wake will begin at 6 p.m. Friday at the church, followed by a visitation until 8 p.m. Memorials may be made to St. Joseph Cemetery or Brighton First Responders and may be left at the church or mailed to the family at 1266 Yew Avenue, Brighton, IA 52540. Gould Funeral Home of Brighton is in charge of the arrangements.

Pacha was born Aug. 13, 1922, in Jefferson County near Brighton, the son of Albert and Teresa Agnes Fritz Pacha. He grew up near Pleasant Plain and graduated from Pleasant Plain High School in 1941. He married Helen Darlene Wikoff in East Pleasant Plain on May 12, 1945. She died July 24, 2013.

He worked at Oscar Meyer, John Morrell, and as a farm hand near Davenport for a short time before he enlisted in the Navy and served in the South Pacific during World War II. He began farming for himself after returning from the Navy and farmed most of his life. He was a member of the American Legion, Brighton Lions Club, the Knights of Columbus, and St. Joseph Catholic Church in East Pleasant Plain.

Surviving are two daughters, Dianna Pacha of Washington and Melinda Pacha-Anderson (Blair) of Royal Oaks, Michigan; two sons, Tom Pacha (Miriam) of Brighton and Mike Pacha (Cathy) of Libertyville; five grandchildren; four great-grandchildren; four sisters, Mary Catherine Adam of Fairfield, Joan Peterson of Newton, Edna Sieren (Don) of Keota, and Geraldine Scheller (Mel) of Emporia, Kansas; four brothers, Don Pacha (Geraldine) of Fairfield, Maurice Pacha (Kathryn) and Merle Pacha (Maryann) of Washington, and Gerald Pacha (Rosemary) of Brighton.

He was preceded in death by his parents, his wife, a daughter, Deborah Cox, a brother, Bob, and an infant brother, Jerome.