Wesley Hart, 95, of Shenandoah, Iowa, entered into eternal rest at the Shenandoah Medical Center on Saturday, August 9, 2025.
Carl Wesley Hart was born June 1, 1930, in Page County, Iowa, the youngest son of Carl Albert Lee Hart and Anna Althera Pauline (Nadgwick) Hart. He entered into rest on Saturday, August 9, 2025, at Shenandoah Memorial Hospital, following a brief illness.
Wesley was raised on a farm near Shenandoah, where he attended school. He graduated from Shenandoah High School in 1948 and spent the rest of his life farming. He served in the U.S. Army during the Korean War, stationed in Germany from 1951-1953. On February 16, 1958, Wesley married the true love of his life, Delores Ailene Vawter from Bedford, Iowa. They made their home on a rented farm south of Shenandoah and began their married life together. Upon the death of his father in 1960, Wesley took over the family farm, just a mile to the south, and lived there the rest of his life.
On that farm Wesley and Delores raised three sons, Clark, Keith, and Howard, and instilled in them a love of the land and a sense of responsibility. Wesley worked with the boys on their 4-H projects and hauled them to the county fair each summer. A faithful, loving husband and father, he worked hard and provided well for his family. He was a respected member of the rural Shenandoah community and was always willing to help out a neighbor. He was a model of integrity to all who knew him.
Wesley was an active member of First Baptist Church of Shenandoah, where the family attended for many years. He served as deacon, financial secretary, and on various church boards and committees. He was also active in the local Farmer’s Cooperative and the Farm Bureau.
Gradually retiring from farming and passing the reins to Howard, Wesley and Delores traveled and enjoyed watching their grandchildren grow. Wesley tirelessly cared for Delores in her final illness. After her death in 2020 he stayed on the farm that he loved, with his faithful dog by his side and a good library book in his hand. He loved to read history or listen to some good old fashioned gospel music. Even in his last days he could recall and recount stories from his youth or his travels in Europe in the 1950s. He was admired for his kind, quiet way, and dearly loved by his family and friends.
Preceding Wesley in death were his parents, Carl and Anna Hart of Shenandoah, his beloved wife of 62 years, Delores, and his three siblings, Stanley Hart of Shenandoah, Russell Hart of Clarinda, and Lorene Briggs of Fort Collins, Colorado.
Those left to cherish his memory include sons Clark Hart and wife Sheri of Kansas City, Missouri, Keith Hart of Omaha, Nebraska, and Howard Hart of Shenandoah and partner Jill Houle; grandchildren Andrew Hart of Liberty, Missouri, Nikole Hudson Gates and husband Marcus of Prairie Village, Kansas, Anna “Kitty” Hart and partner Charlotte of Sioux City, Iowa, and Megan “Alex” Hart of Omaha, Nebraska; and great-granddaughter Lola Gates of Prairie Village, Kansas, other relatives and many friends.
Memorial services are pending. Nishna Valley Funeral & Cremation Service is in charge of arrangements.
