Brandon Solarez
Dwight L. Diltz passed away February 13 at TMC Hospice with his daughter Beverly by his side. No formal services will be held; a small family gathering will be held in Missouri at a later date.
Dwight enlisted in the Army on January 5,1949 during the Korean War and was honorably discharged in July 1952. Note the date of enlistment - Dwight was only 16 years old but he lied to enlist so he could send money home to support his family. He then went to work on Rock Island Railroad in September of 1952 and was a Locomotive Engineer until Rock Island went bankrupt in 1980, moving to Chicago & Northwestern Railroad until 1983, then to Iowa Interstate Railroad until 1990 when he retired for medical reasons. He served as a union representative from 1960 to 1980 for local engineers. He was instrumental in organizing the United Transportation Union and was elected to the General Chairman position and served until he officially retired in 1997.
Dwight loved his family dearly and spent the last few years either in Arizona in the company of his friends at the Rincon Country East RV Resort or with his daughter Beverly (BJ) in Texas or in Kansas visiting with his beloved grandchildren and great grandchildren and one precocious great-great granddaughter. He loved nothing more than to sit in the living room and have his great grandkids bring him coffee or sandwiches and to coax them to bring him a donut or oatmeal raisin cookie. He loved chats about their day and watching movies with them and sometimes even letting them teach him to play the wii. He also loved debating politics and was a fierce arguer of his point, and he loved political memes. He was stubborn to a fault, fiercely independent, but also extremely loyal to those he loved and will be missed very much.
Dwight is preceded in death by his parents, Everett K. Diltz and Violet M. Rogers; wife, Ola Christine Diltz; two brothers, Robert and Tom, and three sisters, Beverly, Dorothy, and Linda; daughter, Debra and son Dwight Jr.; previous wife Myrtle whom he divorced in 1979. Dwight is survived by his daughter Beverly (Roger) Abrajano of Corpus Christi, Texas; daughter Susan Minge of West Plains, Missouri; stepchildren with Ola Christine (Diane, Trina, Cindy, Brad, Bobby); seven grandchildren (Angela, Aimee, Nicholas, Aundria, Jake, Kaci, Madison), thirteen great grandchildren, and one great-great granddaughter.
Dwight enlisted in the Army on January 5,1949 during the Korean War and was honorably discharged in July 1952. Note the date of enlistment - Dwight was only 16 years old but he lied to enlist so he could send money home to support his family. He then went to work on Rock Island Railroad in September of 1952 and was a Locomotive Engineer until Rock Island went bankrupt in 1980, moving to Chicago & Northwestern Railroad until 1983, then to Iowa Interstate Railroad until 1990 when he retired for medical reasons. He served as a union representative from 1960 to 1980 for local engineers. He was instrumental in organizing the United Transportation Union and was elected to the General Chairman position and served until he officially retired in 1997.
Dwight loved his family dearly and spent the last few years either in Arizona in the company of his friends at the Rincon Country East RV Resort or with his daughter Beverly (BJ) in Texas or in Kansas visiting with his beloved grandchildren and great grandchildren and one precocious great-great granddaughter. He loved nothing more than to sit in the living room and have his great grandkids bring him coffee or sandwiches and to coax them to bring him a donut or oatmeal raisin cookie. He loved chats about their day and watching movies with them and sometimes even letting them teach him to play the wii. He also loved debating politics and was a fierce arguer of his point, and he loved political memes. He was stubborn to a fault, fiercely independent, but also extremely loyal to those he loved and will be missed very much.
Dwight is preceded in death by his parents, Everett K. Diltz and Violet M. Rogers; wife, Ola Christine Diltz; two brothers, Robert and Tom, and three sisters, Beverly, Dorothy, and Linda; daughter, Debra and son Dwight Jr.; previous wife Myrtle whom he divorced in 1979. Dwight is survived by his daughter Beverly (Roger) Abrajano of Corpus Christi, Texas; daughter Susan Minge of West Plains, Missouri; stepchildren with Ola Christine (Diane, Trina, Cindy, Brad, Bobby); seven grandchildren (Angela, Aimee, Nicholas, Aundria, Jake, Kaci, Madison), thirteen great grandchildren, and one great-great granddaughter.
