Conrad Roy Wetzel

Conrad Roy Wetzel died November 10, 2019 at the Marion VA Medical Center.  He awaits the resurrection and judgment by our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.  Conrad was born in St. Paul, Minnesota, on March 13, 1939, to Leroy and Mildred (Traeger) Wetzel, and was the eldest of four boys.  In 1966, he was introduced to Etta Marie Routson on a blind date by a blind friend. After marrying on August 27, 1966, in Hector, Minnesota, they were married for 48 years until Etta Marie’s death.  Conrad graduated from the University of Minnesota and Southern Illinois University with undergraduate and graduate degrees in forest management.  He served six years as a Seabee in the United States Navy Reserves, with two years of active duty as a construction electrician.  Following active military service, he started his professional career with the United States Fish and Wildlife Service as a resident worker/assistant corpsman supervisor at the Crab Orchard Job Corp Center. After 37 years of federal service with the United States Forest Service, he retired with his last assignment being a Lands/Minerals Forester and review appraiser on the Shawnee National Forest.  He was extremely proud of his military and federal service.  Conrad was also a certified general real estate appraiser in Arkansas and Illinois.  Following retirement, he worked several years as a field enumerator for the Illinois Agricultural Statistics Service.  Conrad was raised by a devout mother and father in the Lutheran faith.  In later life, he turned from a Trinitarian belief to believe that God is a single entity, Jesus is the son of God (not God) and God's holy spirit or power is not a being.  He faithfully attended the Restitution Church of God (Abrahamic Faith) in Eldorado for more than 40 years.   His hobbies included meeting people, wood carving and reading a wide variety of literature, especially mysteries.  He was a member of the Tri-State Wood Carvers Club in Evansville, Indiana.  In addition to his wife, Etta Marie, Conrad was preceded in death by his father, mother and brother Keith. He is survived by four daughters whom he loved dearly, Deborah (Eric) Layman, Cherie (Lee) Abbott, Kristen Wetzel, and Jennifer (Daniel) Siderius;  five grandchildren, Hannah and Jordan Layman, Emilee and Jared Abbott, and Olivia Siderius;  two brothers, Noel and Kenneth Wetzel; his godmother and favorite aunt, Marcella Fredell; his close cousin, Pamela Van Heel;  and cousin, Mary Flekke.  Per his wishes, Conrad will be cremated and there will be no local memorial service. Conrad's cremains will be interred in Fort Snelling National Cemetery in Minneapolis, Minnesota.   Memorials may be made to the Christian Community Compassion Center in Harrisburg or to Hospice of Southern Illinois. Colonial Terrace Funeral Home in Eldorado is in charge of arrangements.