Mrs. Wanetta Armintrout of Moline, a longtime teacher, died Sunday morning at her home. She was 99 years old.
“She was an amazing mentor and wonderful friend,” said Becky Miller Tolliver. “She will be missed by many.”
he was born in Moline on June 10, 1924, the daughter of Alton and Gertrude (Van Horn) Frank. It was in Moline that she was mostly raised, alongside her grandparents and even her great-grandparents. She had a special bond with her Aunt Ollie.
She accepted Jesus as her Lord and Savior at a very young age. She had a lifelong love of reading, and kept a scripture journal or list all of her life.
When she was 18, she met Dale Armintrout while she was a student at County Normal in Allegan. World War II was raging and they were engaged then married within three months or less of when they first met.
Dale went into the Army less than a month after they were married. He was selected for special and extra training. Wanetta followed him whenever she could. One story was that when they were living in Tennessee, Dale’s parents came to visit. When it was time to leave, Dale’s father asked him to take them to the train station. Dale said “I don’t’ understand, you drove here.” His dad then told him that they were leaving the car for him and Wanetta.
In March, 1944 their son Allen was born. Later that year, Dale was sent into combat in Europe as a forward artillery observer, with the 14th Armor Division. He survived the hellish battle of Hatten, France, an 11-day pitched battle where their orders were to hold at all cost. That they did, even though the Germans held two-thirds of that small village. He then went on, deep into Germany where his outfit liberated 130,000 allied prisoners. In April he was wounded in the knee and spent months in the hospital.
After the war, Wanetta and Dale established their home in Allegan. Dale worked with his father and brother at Armintrout & Sons, one of the first combinations of grocery store and meat market. Upon learning that their son, Allen, was and would always be deaf, they vowed to each other that they’d concentrate on him, to give him the best upbringing that they could.
There was an excellent school for the deaf in Grand Rapids. Dale and Wanetta made the decision to move to Moline and open their own mom & pop grocery. This would shorten the twice a day drive to Grand Rapids and back. Though it took a lot of hours and a lot of work, Wanetta loved it as it allowed them to spend their days together.
When in their early forties, Dale & Wanetta sold their store and went back to school to become teachers. They both taught in and retired from the Wayland School District. Wanetta loved teaching sixth grade. When asked about it, she would say “they were all good kids.” Recently an ex-student said that she was everyone’s favorite teacher.
Wanetta said that she loved being a housewife from her Dutch mother, the first in her family to be born in the USA, she learned to keep and take pride in a clean and tidy house. She said that Monday’s were for washing, etc, etc, and Fridays were for cleaning house.
Wanetta led an active church and social life up into her 90s. She was quick, had a great sense of humor and was fun to be with. She made friends, even lifelong friends easily. She was always the great hostess. Everyone who entered her home was made to feel sincerely welcomed.
Wanetta loved her home where she had so many good memories. Her wish was to spend the rest of her days at home. She had given such excellent and selfless care to her mother and Dale in their final years and to Allen in his final days. A team of her friends and family were there for her. Then several who did not know Wanetta got involved and they quickly bonded with her.
Wanetta was preceded in death by her parents, her brother, Dale Frank; her husband of 67 years, Dale and her son, Allen.
She is survived by her nephews, Walter (Mary) Frank, Robert (Marcia) Frank and David Armintrout; nieces, Diana (Rick) Lloyd and Paula (Verne) Trindoskey great nieces and nephews; special loving adopted families, the DeKok family, Rookus families, Burgess family and Burley families and special loving friends Eve Foote and Jeanie VandenBos.
Friends may visit with Wanetta’s family starting at 10 a.m., Friday, Sept.r15, 2023, at the Moline Baptist Church, until the time of the funeral service at 11, with Pastor Steve DeKok officiating.Burial will take place at 1:30 p.m. at Dorr Cemetery.
Contributions in memory of Wanetta may be made to the Moline Baptist Church or Wings of Hope Hospice.
