Otto Donald Wenz Jr., age 86, passed away on Wednesday, Dec. 14, 2022, at Washington Regional Hospital in Fayetteville, Ark. Son of Otto Wenz, Sr. and Dora (Schneider) Wenz, Otto was born on April 16, 1936, at the family farm in Blair. He attended Blair High School and was a member of the 1955 graduating class. Otto was baptized as one of Jehovah's Witnesses on July 13, 1947, and shared his faith in Jehovah for 75 years, remaining faithfully devoted to Jehovah God all of his days.
On Aug. 15, 1958, Otto was united in marriage to LaDonna Borgelt, and to this union five children were born. Otto married Sharon Griffin on Aug. 20,1994, at the Kingdom Hall of Jehovah's Witnesses in Troy, Kan.: she preceded him in death on May 16, 2020.
Otto was a farmer from the time he was a child, always helping his dad in the field. He instilled that same love of farming into each of his children. Otto enjoyed working on tractors and was always willing to help others fix whatever was broken. In his later years, Otto would be on the phone for hours, sharing his faith and talking people through their tractor problems.
Survivors include his three sons, Wayne Wenz, and his wife Kelley, of Blair, Michael Wenz, of Tekamah, Donald Wenz, and his wife, Alexa, of Tekamah; two daughters, Valerie Cox, and her husband Luke, of Seligman, Mo., and Debra Welchert, and her husband Jerry, of Cassville, Mo.; two sisters, Delores Andersen, and her husband Lyman, of Omaha, Wilma Stepanek, and her husband Donald, of Blair; two brothers, Richard Wenz, and his wife Diana, of Eagar, Ariz., and Windsor Wenz, and his wife Patti, of Perry, Iowa; twelve grandchildren; and five great-grandchildren.
In addition to his wife Sharon, he was preceded in death by two brothers, Roger and Daniel Wenz.
Memorial service to be held on Saturday, Dec. 24 at 1:00 p.m. at the Kingdom Hall of Jehovah's Witnesses, Monett, Mo.
Burial will be held at a later date in the German Cemetery, Blair.
Cremation arrangements are under the direction of White Funeral Home & Crematory of Cassville.
