JOHN L. (JOHNNY) WEISENBERGER

Palmer resident John L. (Johnny) Weisenberger, 83, died at Valley Hospital on Sept. 7, 2001.

There will be a service at 1 p.m., Saturday, Sept. 15, at Saint Michael's Catholic Church in Palmer.

Mr. Weisenberger was born in Fairfax, S.D., to German immigrant parents. Leaving home after high school he hitched rides on westbound freight trains to find work during the Great Depression. He joined the U. S Army Air Corps in 1939 and became an aircraft sheet metal worker.

He volunteered for overseas service after the Pearl Harbor attack but was instead sent to Alaska, where his superiors thought his skills could be better used. He was stationed at Ladd Field in Fairbanks and together with his Cold Weather Testing Detachment counterparts set upon the task of converting and testing combat aircraft for the harsh conditions.

While stationed in Fairbanks he met Matanuska Valley colonist Patty Hemmer, the woman who would be his wife for nearly 60 years.

The couple moved to North Dakota after Mr. Weisenberger's discharge in 1945, where he furthered his studies in the sheet metal trade at the State School of Science. He worked several jobs after graduation in the Lower 48, but they both felt the pull of Alaska calling them home.

Mr. Weisenberger joined the Sheet Metal Workers Union in 1948 and was initiated into Local 99 in 1949. He owned and managed different shops and projects in Alaska throughout his career and took the position of instructor/coordinator for Local 23's apprenticeship program during the '70s and early '80s. He retired in 1983.

He loved animals and in retirement volunteered at the Musk Ox Farm near Palmer. He also enjoyed motor home trips with his family, traveling with his different organizations and gardening with his wife.

He was proud of his military service and was an active member and past commander at Post 15 of the American Legion. He was a life member of the Amvets, VFW, American Legion, and was one of the last surviving charter members of Elks Lodge # 1842. He also belonged to the Moose and Pioneers of Alaska Igloo #3 1.

His family and friends will miss his sly grin, his sparkling eyes and his chuckle.

They said: "He was a strong quiet man with a big heart who would be glad to lend a hand when someone needed him. He enjoyed a good joke and wasn't above sharing one now and then. He was devoted to his family and put their needs before his. His passing will leave a sadness in many, but a fond memory will remain

forever."

He is survived by children and their spouses, Myron and Mary Urban, Carol Moffitt and Dennis Bowen, John Weisenberger and Kathy Cook, Paul and Cheryl Weisenberger; grandchildren, Michelle Moffitt Thomas and Christopher Lee Moffitt Thomas; great-grandchildren, Victoria Lee Moffitt Thomas and Tomi Carolann McKenzie; brothers/sisters and their spouses, Carl and Virginia Weisenberger, Earl Weisenberger, Willis and Annamae Weisenberger, Curt and Sarah Olsen, Don and Phyllis Fretty, and Marvin and Judy Weisenberger.

He was preceded into everlasting life by his loving wife, Patricia H. Weisenberger, and brothers, Art and Allen.

Arrangements were made by Kehl's Palmer Mortuary.