Wilson Cornelius

Wilson Cornelius age 91 of Andrew Iowa died on Thursday morning April 282005.0 at the Finley Hospital in Dubuque Iowa.



A Celebration of His Life will be held at 1:30 P.M. Monday May 22005.0 from the Salem Lutheran Church in Andrew Iowa with Pastor Gaylor Nelson officiating. Visitation will be held from 3 to 6 P.M. on Sunday May 12005.0 from the Carson & Son Funeral And Cremation Services in Maquoketa. Burial will be in the Andrew Iowa Cemetery.



Wilson Cornelius was born on October 22 1913 in Richland Township rural Jackson County Iowa to Fred Cornelius and Carrie (Ehl) Cornelius. He was baptized and confirmed at Salem Lutheran Church in Andrew Iowa. He was educated through the 10th grade in Andrew. He then drove a Model T to Bellevue Community High School and graduated on May 27 1931. He then earned a diploma in general radio via an International Correspondence School. He married Hazel A. Roemhildt on December 26 1941 in rural Elysian Minnesota. She preceded him in death on January 24 2001.



Following high school Wilson worked with Clarence Capt Sommers in his garage in Andrew repairing cars and radios. He then farmed the home...[more]

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rm until 1957 when he and his wife Hazel purchased Andrew Telephone Exchange and moved to town. In 1963 they then purchased the local hardware store. Wilson's Household and Farm Supply carried the needs of a rural community. Until recently Wilson knew the location and depth of many of the local farm wells having pulled many of them numerous times. In 1973 Wilson went into partnership with his son Milton and built the present M & W Hardware building in Andrew. Wilson retired from the hardware business in 1992 and the telephone company in 2000.



Wilson was a lifelong member of the Salem Lutheran Church in Andrew and had served on the church council for 20 years and as Sunday school superintendent for many years. He also had been mayor of Andrew from 1976 to 1986 a Jackson County Farm Bureau member and a former 4-H leader during the 1950's and 1960's.



Wilson loved working especially doing bookwork. He also enjoyed rebuilding trucks and tractors reading and had traveled extensively.



Wilson is survived by: children- Stanley(Bonnie) Cornelius of Northwood OH Milton(Patricia) Cornelius of Andrew IA & Marilyn Cornelius of Des Moines IA; a sister- Maybelle(Mrs. Ervin) Bruninga of Florence AL; 5 grandsons- Allen Steven Philip(Michelle) Nathan(Kristin) & Noah Cornelius; 3 great-granddaughters- Kyla Katelyn Lauryn; 3 great-grandsons- Kyle Elijah & Jaden; a brother-in-law- Mel(Shirley) Roemhildt of Waterville MN; & a sister-in-law- Adeline Roemhildt of St. Peter MN. He was preceded in death by his parents his wife a sister- Olga Lutz & 1 infant brother- Donald.



A Wilson Cornelius Memorial Fund has been established.