Orin Wallick

Orin (Junior) Wallick, 86, of Mechanicsville, died Thursday, January 10, 2008 at Mercy Hospital in Cedar Rapids. There will be no services at this time; a Celebration of Life will be announced at a later date. Orin chose to be cremated, Fry Funeral Home of Tipton in charge of arrangements. Orin was born May 3, 1921 in Tipton, the son of Orin F. and Maud (Horn) Wallick. He was a graduate of Tipton High School, Tipton Jr. College, and Grinnell College. Education was very important to him, and his career encompassed various positions in learning related fields, including teaching and working for Encyclopedia Britannica Education Corporation. Junior spent four years in the Army Medical Corps and years in the Reserves, retiring at the rank of Major. On March 15, 1944, Orin married Barbara Oceana Ferguson in Mechanicsville. After living on several military bases, they moved to Des Moines, where they spent many years and raised four children. The family moved to Deerfield, IL in 1964, but in 1976 returned to Iowa and the Mechanicsville area, where they built a home in the woods on the Ferguson family farm. Orin retired and lived his life out there. He loved to feed the birds, was an advocate of land conservation, and served as the family archivist. Orin is survived by his wife, Barbara; one son and daughter-in-law, Kermit and Kay Wallick of Mechanicsville; one daughter and son-in-law, Chris and Glen Weber of Mechanicsville; two daughters, Claudia Wallick of West Branch and Elisa Wallick of Iowa City; six beloved grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by two half-sisters and one great-grandchild. The family suggests any memorials be made to the Mechanicsville Ambulance Service or Public Library, the U.S. Forestry Service or a charity of choice.