Orlin W. Wentz Obituary
Orlin Winfield Wentz, 82 of Kearney passed away on Wednesday, May 1, 2024 at the Central Nebraska Veterans Home in Kearney, Nebraska. Funeral service will be 2:00 p.m. Tuesday, May 14, 2024 at the Central Nebraska Veterans Home chapel. Visitation will be 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. Monday, May 13, 2024 at O'Brien Straatmann Redinger Funeral home in Kearney, Nebraska. Interment will be held at Fort McPherson National Cemetery in Maxwell, Nebraska at a later date.
Memorials are suggested to the family for future designation.
Orlin was born February 11, 1942 to Robert and Dorothy Wentz, the fourth of ten kids. He grew up in rural Shepherd, Michigan. In 1964 he was drafted into the U.S. Army. During his service he spent time at Fort Riley, Kansas. He was also deployed to Vietnam in 1965 and was discharged in 1966. In 1967 he married Kay Walburn and lived in Shepherd, Michigan. He worked at a local dairy farm, was a police officer, school bus driver and Dow chemical company. He moved to Arkansas in 1976 and worked at Campbell Soup in Fayetteville, Arkansas. In 1980 he went to Oberlin, Kansas and became a foster parent at Cookson Hill Christian Children's Home. He was a foster parent to 32 different boys and girls while working there. In 1989 he drove a truck and was a cross country semi driver. In 1995 he moved to the Kearney, Nebraska area and worked as a plumber for one of his son's. He also worked as a delivery driver for Central Nebraska Medical and a door greeter at Walmart. He really enjoyed being a door greeter where he was able to meet numerous people and to talk with them.
He is survived by daughters: Sheila of Terre Haute, Indiana. Karla (Charlie) Ballengee of Rossville, Illinois. Paula (Dean) Cloyd of Camdenton, Missouri. Becky (Bret) Shepard of Melbourne, Florida. Sons: Aaron (Kelly) Wentz of Riverdale, Nebraska. Keith (Dayla) Wentz of Kearney, Nebraska. Sister-in-law Sandy of Beaverton, Michigan, sister Sandra (Gearhart) Fellows of Sanford, Michigan, sister Phyllis (Richard) Wilson of Big Pine Key, Florida, sister Marilynn (Boyd) Hodges of Athens, Tennessee, sister Madeline (Gary) Larose of St. Louis, Michigan. Brother Charles of Midland, Michigan, brother Kenneth (Sherry) of Ithaca, Michigan, and sister Kathy (Dan) Peacock of Portage, Michigan.13 grandchildren and 12 great grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by his parents, his wife Kay, a son in law (Jim), brothers (Clark, Arthur), brother-in-law (James), sister in laws (Ruth, Judy), a granddaughter (Shannon) and a grandson (Evan).
