Charles "Buzz" Artlip, 91
Charles "Buzz" Artlip, 91, Villisca, died Saturday, April 26, 2014, following a short illness.
He was born April 3, 1923, in Elliott, the fourth of seven children born to Delbert and Doris (Walker) Artlip. His siblings were Fay, Dean, Maree, Edith, Betty and Bob. Buzz attended school in Elliott for 10 years, dropping out to work with his father in the family scrap metal business during the Great Depression. Two years later, he began working for Bruce Orton in the farm route service business in Tenville, which he eventually purchased.
On April 3, 1942, Buzz married his longtime sweetheart, Elaine Corbin of Grant. They had two children, Jim and Linda.
Buzz served in the U.S. Army during World War II. He was a sergeant at the time of his honorable discharge in 1946 when he, Elaine and their son, Jim, returned to Tenville. Buzz and Elaine had lived in Tenville for 59 years before moving to Villisca.
Although he retired from the cream route business several times before he actually quit for good, he began a new career in lawn care in the 1970s that lasted for another 25 years. At the same time he was resetting and repairing gravestones in local cemeteries, which he considered one of his lasting legacies. Another legacy was the restoration of the pioneer Sciola Baptist Church.
Eventually, his health demanded he stop working entirely. But he got tired of sitting around and began writing his memoirs to entertain himself. He self-published "Buzz's Story: 89 Years of Memories" in 2012 and was immensely proud of his work. A free download of his book is available at the website elaine.artlip.com.
Buzz is survived by his loving wife, Elaine, with whom he celebrated their 72nd anniversary April 3; his son Jim (Kathie); his daughter Linda (Jim Weinstein); four grandchildren, Mark (Kathy), Jilian, Melissa Weinstein (Sherlock Terry) and David Weinstein (Caroly Labin); 10 great-grandchildren; his brother-in-law, Pat Corbin (Sue); many nieces and nephews, as well as many friends.
Visitation will be Wednesday, April 30, 2014, from 5-7 p.m. at the Wolfe Funeral Home in Villisca. A graveside memorial service will be at Grant Cemetery at a later date.
Wolfe Funeral Home in charge of arrangements.