David L. Wiemer, 96, of Burlington, died Friday, Jan. 10, 2025, at the New London Nursing and Rehab Center in New London.
Born May 6, 1928, in Burlington, he was the eldest son of Edgar Roy and Elma Christina Larson Wiemer. He graduated from Burlington High School in 1946. He was a member of Boy Scout Troop 25 and obtained his Eagle Badge in 1943. He was his scout leader’s first Eagle Scout. After graduating high school, he joined the U.S. Navy, finishing his service in Guam in the Pacific. He continued his service in the Naval Reserve. Dave married F. Evelyn Witte on Sept. 25, 1950, and they had four children, David, Douglas, Diana, and Daniel. He continued his education at Burlington Junior College and graduated in 1950. Dave was recalled to active duty in the Korean Conflict, serving aboard the USS Titania in Japan and Korean waters from October 1950 until June of 1952.
Dave later attended Iowa State University and received his Bachelor’s in Landscape Architecture in 1955. He was the Senior Class President and was a member of the honor fraternities, Tau-Sigman-Delta and Alpha Zeta. He continued his education receiving a Master’s in Recreation Park Administration from the University of Illinois in 1968. Dave worked in many states over the years in park related fields, some including: Kalamazoo, MI as a Landscape Architect, Peoria Park and District (IL), Director of La Salle County IL Conservation District, Elmhurst Park District, and was even as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Parks and Recreation Departments at Indiana University in Bloomington. In his last 17 years of work, he was the Assistant Director for the Rockford IL Park District and retired in 1990…