DuWayne Feickert

DuWayne (Dewey) Jacob Feickert passed away at home on April 2, 2018, in Prairie du Chien, WI.  He was born on August 29, 1947, in the Decorah (Iowa) Hospital, the fifth of nine children born to Theodore and Irene (Meyer) Feickert.  He grew up on a farm east of Nordness in Winneshiek County, Iowa, and attended the Red Oak one-room schoolhouse and then South Winneshiek Schools after Red Oak closed.  He was baptized and confirmed at Washington Prairie Lutheran Church.  At the start of his high school years, the family moved to a farm just north of Frankville, at which point he transferred to Postville High School, from which he graduated in 1965.  While in high school, Dewey excelled at wrestling, lettering all four years and enjoying a particularly strong senior year until he was derailed by an elbow injury during sectionals.

After graduation, Dewey went to Cedar Rapids where he worked full-time jobs at both Penick and Ford and at Wilson’s.  He returned to Postville the next year, marrying Joann Carlson in 1967 and having three sons, Scott, Timothy, and Brent.  They divorced in 1990.  While in Postville, Dewey worked for Impact Milling from 1966 to 1967, Postville Implement from 1967 to 1984 and the Allamakee-Clayton Rural Electric Cooperative from 1984 to 2004.  He was a member of the Postville Fire Department from 1971 to 1996 and served as Fire Chief for several years.  He married Judith (Judy) Roberts in 1992 and together they owned and operated the Postville Bakery and Restaurant from 1991 to 2004.  He retired from the REC and the bakery due to health reasons but, no fan of retirement, took on jobs as a truck driver and car transport driver.  DuWayne and Judy moved to Prairie du Chien in 2015.

From his childhood to his final years in Prairie, one of Dewey’s greatest pleasures was spending time on the Mississippi River, whether fishing with family and friends, taking his sons camping on a sandbar, or spending time on the houseboat, fishing and partying with the D-Dock family.  Even when he was in town, he found reasons to be outside, including gardening and yardwork.  Dewey had great mechanical prowess and enjoyed the challenge of diagnosing why something wasn’t working and figuring out how to repair it.  He was always quick to lend a helping hand, some know-how (though certain fishing tips stayed secret), tools, or a candid and often humorous assessment of people and things.

Dewey was preceded in death by his father Ted, mother Irene, brother Allen, and brothers-in-law James Perez and William Kelley.  He is survived by his wife Judy; sons Scott (Beth) of Bloomington, IN, Tim of Longmont, CO, and Brent (Nichole) of Webster City, IA; stepson Steven (Heather) and stepdaughter Jennifer (Elmer) Herrera, both of Black River Falls, WI; sisters Norma (Wayne) Hemry of Ossian, IA, Joyce (Milton) Nelson of Freeport, IA, Judy (Michael) Moore of Bluffton, IA, Vicky Kelley (and longtime companion Max Montgomery) of Ankeny, IA, and Rhonda (Doug) Koenig of Frankville, IA; brothers Lloyd (Marsha) of Marion, IA, and Jeff (Sharon) of Frankville, IA; sister-in-law Susan of Marion, IA; twelve grandchildren; and six great grandchildren.

A Celebration of DuWayne’s life will be Saturday, April 28, 2018 at the Backwoods in McGregor, IA from 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM with a fireman’s last call ceremony at 1:30 PM.   

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