Willard Daniel Ioerger

Willard Daniel Ioerger, age 92, of Delavan, died Monday, January 12, 2009, at Nicollet Place in Blue Earth. Funeral services will be held on Saturday, January 17, 2009, at 11:00 AM, at the United Methodist Church in Delavan with Military Honors. Rev. Lora Sturm will officiate. Burial will be in Rice Lake Cemetery, Delavan, MN. Visitation time will be from 4 7p.m. Friday at Spencer Owen Funeral Home in Winnebago and one hour prior to services at the church on Saturday. He was born October 30, 1916,in Franklin County, near Alden, IA, the son of Lafe and Hulda (Fredrickson)Ioerger. Willard attended rural schools in Iowa where his family lived near Alden and Burdett, Iowa. In 1926 his family moved to rural Freeborn where Willard attended school. At age twenty-one he moved to Wells and ran the Wells Dairy and Pasteurizing Plant with his family. He also owned and operated a café in Wells. In Sept. of 1943, Willard joined the U.S. Army and after military training in Mineral Wells, Texas and Chard, England he entered combat during WW II at Normandy and Omaha Beach in France. He served in the 38th Infantry Division which was deployed at the D-Day Invasion. His military occupational specialty was a light machine gunner. He was wounded in action in 1944 during his European Middle Theatre tour while he was in France. Military citations include a Bronze Star, three Purple Hearts, Expert Marksman, and Good Conduct Medal. He was honorably discharged in 1946 following a year of hospitalization and military schooling, much of it at Leavenworth, Kansas. Willard married Doris M. Hanson of Sherburn at her parent’s home on May 2, 1945. They lived at Leavenworth, KS. until 1946 when they moved to Wells. In 1951 Willard moved his family to a farm near Delavan. Willard spent most of his life farming and also enjoyed doing carpentry work. He was a member of the Delavan Methodist Church, Edward Holt American Legion Post #486, Disabled American Veterans, and past active member and officer of the Faribault County National Farmers Organization. He enjoyed family, telling good stories, traveling, fishing, hunting, farming, building, reading and living life. He survived by his Daughter, Corrine(Charles) Prescher, Delavan, Son, Lafe(Joyce) Ioerger, Delavan,7 Grandchild,11 Great Grandchildren, Sister, Luella Markle of Winnebago, his Sister in Law,Rosella Ioerger,Longmont Colorado, and 24 loving nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his wife, Doris in 1997, brother, Henry Ioerger, parents, and 13 brother or sister-in-laws. Memorials are preferred to Hospice, Interfaith Caregivers or the Delavan Methodist Church.