Edgar Raymond Wessel

On the 10th of March 1926, Edgar Raymond Wessel was born in Montpelier, Bear Lake, Idaho the last child of Edgar Charles and Carrie Edith Bennett Wessel. He passed away Friday, December 26, 2008 at St. Patrick's Hospital in Missoula, at the age of 82.

Ed began school in Cokeville, WY, then moving to Dietrich, ID he finished his elementary and high school education, graduating in the class of 1944 as valedictorian. He joined the Navy in 1944 and served for three years. He was honorably discharged in 1947 as an aviation cadet. He went on to attend Doane College in Iowa, followed by the University of Idaho graduating with a Master's Degree in Education. He later attended the University of Wyoming's math institute for three consecutive summers on scholarship. Toward the end of his teaching career he attended Arizona State University and earned a degree in high school guidance counseling.

As an accomplished athlete himself, Ed shared his talents as he coached high school football, basketball, baseball, and wrestling. For 37 years he taught math and science, first in Idaho at Inkom, Soda Springs, and Marsh Valley High Schools. Later in Arizona he taught one year in Coolidge and then the remaining years at Sunnyslope High School in Phoenix. His last three years he spent as a guidance counselor.

Ed was very gifted with his hands. He could make anything out of wood, fix anything that was broken, and loved to tinker with gadgets. His family loved his gifts, from wooden boats, banks and cars to hand hewn furniture. He was a man of sharp intellect, precision, and integrity. He had a great love of the outdoors, his country and athletics, but most of all his family.

On the 19th of May 1951 he married Claudia Marie Lish in Inkom, Idaho. Their marriage was later solemnized in the Mesa Arizona Temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. To this union were born seven children. He is survived by his wife Claudia, of Hamilton, and children, Kristeen Rae (James) Coplan, LasVegas, NY; Debby Kim (Jay) Barney, Columbus, OH; Keri Ann (John) Tieman, Phoenix, AZ; Kacey Gehrig (Suzanne) Wessel, Salem, UT; Kory Shane Wessel, Phoenix, AZ; Karolyn (Adam) Robbins, Freedom, WY; 25 grandchildren and 19 great-grandchildren. He is preceded in death by infant daughter, Kathleen Wessel, parents and siblings.