Funeral services for Richard (Dick) Weathers, 98, of Aurelia were held Thursday, April 9, 2026, at First United Methodist Church in Aurelia.
Richard Joseph Weathers was born on Aug. 27, 1927, in Anthon to Merritt Edward and Hepsibeth (Plato) Weathers. Growing up on the banks of the Little Sioux River, Dickey Joe, as he was known as a child, enjoyed hunting and fishing when he wasn’t working hard on his parent’s dairy operation milking cows and then delivering the milk door to door in Anthon.
School wasn’t a high priority for Dick and he was invited not to return to the Anthon School. After a discussion with his father, Dick then attended school in Climbing Hill as it was just as close as Anthon was anyhow! During his senior year, he decided he had had enough schooling and wanted to enlist in the war effort at the age of 17. Accompanied by his mother, Dick enlisted in the Army in Sioux City. After basic training he was stationed in Colorado, where an opportunity arouse for a clerk typist with the Army Air Corps. Eventually, Dick was sent to Guam during a hurricane, but luckily it was after most of the fighting was already over. Returning to Iowa after his discharge, Dick became reacquainted with Phyliss (Sally) Margaret Christensen. The two wed on Feb. 19, 1947, at Ponca, Neb. Dick and Sally welcomed home four children: Nancy, Joe, Dennis (Denny) and Richard James (Jim), spending many years living in Moville.
Dick worked in the meat packing industry after returning home from his time in the service. He began in Sioux City and when Wilson’s opened in Cherokee, Dick took a job there working his way up in the company, spending many years as a foreman and night supervisor at the plant. In 1966, Dick and his family moved to Aurelia where they remained together until Sally’s death on July 17, 1998.
On June 30, 2001, Dick married Lois Pfaff. The two enjoyed playing cards with friends, and traveling south into their 90s. They moved together to Wel-Life in Alta to enjoy their time together and not have to keep up with a household. Lois passed away Feb. 11, 2023.
Dick died on Saturday, April 4, 2026, at Wel-Life at Alta.
Dick will always be remembered as a hard worker who loved life and many will remember him riding his three-wheel bike around town with his little buddy, Hopper the dog, running along beside him. Dick “never knew a stranger,” and he will be remembered by his children and grandchildren for passing along his love of fishing, gardening, hunting and camping.
Preceding Dick in his death are his wife Sally in 1998; his second wife Lois in 2023; his parents; brother Cecil Edward Weathers; two sisters, Donna and her husband Marvin Hansen, and Doris and her husband Manual Matsunami; stepson Gary Pfaff; and three stepgrandchildren: Penny Molnar, Gregg Pfaff and Wendy Baker.
Left to cherish Dick’s memory are his children: Nancy and her husband Tom Hone; Joseph and his wife Diane; Dennis and his wife Connie; and Jim and his wife Paula Weathers; step children: Ann and her husband Jerry Sandine; Dan and his wife Deb Pfaff; and step daughter-in-law Ruth Pfaff; grandchildren: Kelly Countryman, Chris (Jodi) Countryman, Katie (Jess) Bender, Ryan (Amanda) Weathers, Jason (Tracy) Weathers, Andrew (Elizabeth) Weathers, Nathan (Dawn) Weathers, Tieg Weathers, Bill (Nicole) Weathers; seven step grandchildren; 23 great-grandchildren; 16 step great-grandchildren; 8.5 great-great-grandchildren; and nine step great-great-grandchildren.
