Gale L. Wegman

Gale Wegman, 71, of Belmond, passed away Friday, July 16, 2021 at the Denison Care Center in Denison, Iowa with his nephews by his side.

Funeral services for Gale Wegman will be held at 11:00 AM on Friday, July 23, 2021, at St. Paul Lutheran Church, 400 South 13th Street in Fort Dodge, Iowa with Pastor Jon Jahnke officiating.  Burial will take place at Colfax Cemetery south of Vincent.  The family is requesting the wearing of masks.

Visitation for Gale Wegman will be held one hour prior to the funeral service at the church on Friday.

Gale Lewis Wegman was born March 1, 1950 to Lewis and Mildred (Thompson) Wegman in Fort Dodge, Iowa.  He was raised and educated in Fort Dodge.

Gale began working at Fort Dodge Country Club in 1963.  He worked there for 13 years before relocating with twin brother Dale to San Bernardino, California.  He lived in California for more than 20 years, making his home in Garden Grove, Santa Ana and was homeless for one year.  During the 1980s, Gale moved back to Fort Dodge and then in 1994, he moved to Belmond.

While in California, Gale worked as a chef in several restaurants, as a bartender, at several donut shops and bakeries, and owned his own janitorial business for several years, contracting with Budweiser in Riverside, California.   After moving to Belmond, Gale worked at Dugger Funeral Home for 10 years.

Gale suffered from a variety of health symptoms and challenges throughout his life.  After returning to Iowa, he traveled to Iowa City every week for more than a year in order to finally be diagnosed with monoclonal dystonia, a condition similar to M.S.  Despite these challenges, Gale overcame them.

Gale’s hobbies included working multiple jobs at once, later watching the Rachael Ray Show and Iowa Public Television and he was a member of Belmond Lions Club at one time.  He loved all styles of music, and met The Ink Spots and Lili DeMitry while working at the Fort Dodge Country Club.

Gale had a kind heart.  Why did the chicken cross the road?

Gale is survived by his daughter, and rock, Michelle Wegman, her husband Michael and their three children of San Bernardino, California and his sisters Carol Ruby and Sally Wegman and families of Fort Dodge, Iowa.

Gale was preceded in death by parents, brother Tommy Wegman in infancy, twin brother Dale Wegman, brother Ricky Wegman, sister Joan Lowe, sister Ruth Miller and niece Amanda Wegman.