Charles Vieth

Charles Douglas Vieth, 96, of Atlantic, Iowa, passed away Friday, June 8, 2018, at the Heritage House in Atlantic, Iowa.

Charles was born February 6, 1922, in Council Bluffs, Iowa, the son of Chester and Mary (Haight) Vieth. He grew up in Oakland, Iowa, and graduated from high school there. He attended Iowa State University and left to join the United States Navy. He served in the Navy during World War II from August of 1943 through August of 1946. He returned to Oakland opening a Dairy Queen there and in Harlan, Iowa, in 1952. On August 2, 1953, he was united in marriage to Ruth Swanson.

Charles and Ruth moved to Washington, D.C. as Charles became a meteorologist. They lived there for about three years before returning to Iowa. At that time, Charles attended Iowa State University to finish college, graduating in 1959. They then moved to Kansas City where he was a meteorologist, then to Loveland, Colorado, and then to Norwalk, Iowa. In 1967, while in Norwalk, Charles started an apple orchard. He was very fond of the orchard and even though he retired from meteorology in 1982, he continued to work the orchard until 1986. At that time, they moved to Panora, Iowa, and then Tennessee for a few years before moving back to Atlantic, Iowa, in 1993, where they have remained.

He was a member of the First Congregational Church of Christ in Oakland, Iowa. He was a supporter of Trees Forever and past member of the Optimist Club.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Chester and Mary Vieth; his parents-in-law, Swen and Minnie Swanson; his sister, Jean Sargent; his sisters-in-law, Viola Conrad and Alma Dencklau; and his brother-in-law, Earl Swanson.

Charles is survived by his wife, Ruth Vieth of Atlantic, IA; his daughter, Ellen (Dr. John) Barnard of New Albany, OH; his son, Christopher (Laura) Vieth of Lansing, MI; his grandchildren, Christian and Anna Barnard and Ryan Vieth; sisters-in-law, Irene Peck of Fergus Falls, MN and Marlene Owens of Centerville, IA; his brother-in-law, Wayne (Phyllis) Swanson of Norwalk, IA; other relatives and many friends.

Family requests memorials to the Good Samaritan Fund at the Heritage House.

A gathering for family and friends will be held Friday, June 15, 2018, at 3:30 p.m., at the Heritage House in Atlantic, IA.

A private interment of his cremains will take place.

Hockenberry Family Care in Atlantic, Iowa, is in charge of the arrangements.