Roland O. Wetzel

Wetzel, Roland O. of Saint Charles, MO, died on Sunday, February 8, 2015, at the age of 79. Loving husband of Dolores J. "Dee" Wetzel; beloved son of the late Benno Otto and Anna Christine Wetzel; devoted father of Courtney (Kurt) Henke, Christiana (the late Douglas) Needham, Matthew (Carla) Wetzel, and step-father of Robyn (Rick) Macdonnell, Cydney Thornhill and Nancy (Jeff) Wilson; cherished grandfather of Corrinne, Kevin, Karl, Christiana Lee, Chloe Amanda, Lara Rachel, Cameron, Clayton and Hanna; treasured great-grandfather of many. Roland is also survived by uncles, nieces and nephews. He is preceded in death by his brother Richard Wetzel and sister Ruth Folkening.
Roland served in the United States Army as First Lieutenant, and was honorably discharged on May 5, 1968. He then went on to be a member of the Young Republicans at Indiana University, and was a Republican Township Committeeman in South Bend, Indiana. Roland was Elected Delegate from the 23rd Senatorial District to Republican National Convention in 2000. He was on the St. Charles County Republican Central Committee, a Missouri State Republican Party Committee member, and publisher and editor of The Republican for 16 years. Roland was honored by the Freedom Foundation for his writings on the Constitution and Freedom with an obelisk in his honor at Valley Forge, Pennsylvania. He was named Missouri Republican of the Year in 2010. Roland was an Elder at Trinity Lutheran Church in St. Charles, Missouri and at the Lutheran Church in Laguna Beach, California.
Roland loved to write and collect stamps, and watch baseball. He also collected beer steins and was a member of the Gateway Steiners Group and the International Stein Club. Roland loved classical music and was a St. Louis Symphony Subscription ticket holder for 35 years.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Trinity Lutheran - www.trinityorchardfarm.org.