Verl E. 'Whirly-Bird' Ritter

Verl Edward Ritter, 81, of Cherokee, Iowa passed away on November 29, 2010. As he wished, his body was cremated under the direction of the Greenwood Funeral Home in Cherokee. Verl was born on September 25, 1929 in Washta, Iowa to Fred and Maudie (Orten) Ritter. He began his education in Washta and continued it in Cherokee when the family moved there when he was in junior high school. He attended Wilson High School in Cherokee with the class of 1947. He served with the U.S. Army in Germany during the Korean Conflict. On December 27, 1968, he married Twyla (DeBoom) Maddox of Cherokee and was a loving father to her children. He had worked as a truck driver and in construction, spending much of his life working for Christensen Bros. Inc. of Cherokee, retiring as a crane operator in December, 1994. He enjoyed hunting, fishing, and especially camping and canoeing on the Little Sioux River. He spent a lot of time with his faithful dog Shadow, who preceded him in death. Survivors include his wife Twyla; of Cherokee; a step-daughter Julie (Maddox) Wright and her husband Michael, of Jackson, Mississippi; step-sons, Hal Maddox and Eric Maddox, both of Cherokee; two sisters, Lois Smith of Aurelia, Iowa and Deve Killian of Cherokee; a brother, Evan Ritter and his wife Darlavine of Plano, Texas; a sister-in-law, Carol Ritter and her husband Charles Studler of Minneapolis, Minnesota; and many nieces, nephews, and friends. He was preceded in death by his parents, a sister Leota Hohlier, and one brother Jerry Ritter.

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