Keith Oakland Weter

Keith “Wete” Oakland Weter, 58, of Newton, died Wednesday, Oct. 6, 2021, at Unity Point Iowa Methodist Medical Center in Des Moines. The family will greet friends from 4 to 7 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 12 at the Wallace Family Funeral Home and Crematory. A funeral service will begin at 1:30 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 13 at the funeral home. Immediately following the service burial will be at Newton Union Cemetery followed by a celebration of Keith’s life at the American Legion Post 111. In lieu of flowers, memorials to the American Legion Post 111 — to be used to establish a scholarship in Keith’s name — may be left at the funeral home.

Keith “Wete” Oakland Weter was born Aug. 11, 1963, in Newton, to Okie and Catherine Mary (Gallagher) Weter. He attended Newton Community Schools and graduated from Newton High School in 1982. He lived in Newton all his life.

Keith has a special place in his heart for veterans and anything to do with the military since both of his parents served in World War II. You could often find Keith driving through cemeteries looking for missing flags on a veteran’s grave and he carried extras with him so he could replace them. Keith worked at Jocko’s in Newton for 17 years. He later worked for Forbes Office Supply putting together furniture for Maytag and most recently he worked for Brownell’s in Grinnell.

Keith was very active in the community serving as a founding member and Commander for the Sons of the Legion and he was part of the American Legion Honor Guard. He was a member of the Emerson Hough Chapter of the Izaak Walton League of America, the Elks Lodge Post 1655, the American Legion Post 111 and the NRA. For many years Keith served his famous Tom and Jerry’s at the Legion and the Elks on Christmas Eve and New Year’s Day. Keith also chaperoned an Honor Flight to Washington D.C. Since 1990, he and his friends loved traveling to Indianapolis every year for the Indianapolis 500. Keith was a friend to all he met.

Keith is survived by his siblings, Thomas Weter (Patty Trease) of Newton, William (Dee) Weter of Newton, Kathy (Doug) Gulling of Newton, Loretta (Rocky) Jacoby of Texas; his special friend, Jenny White and her children, Parker and Libby White, all of Newton; and many nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents; and his sister, Elizabeth O’Neal.