In the early morning of Saturday, March 6, 2021, our favorite ballplayer, Walter "Whitey" Whitecotton, completed his final trip around the bases in this lifetime. Surrounded by his children at the Paula J. Baber Hospice House in Fort Dodge, Dad completed an 80-year journey that took him from California to Montana to Okinawa to Iowa.
It was discovered in late February that his throat muscles had stopped working, and this followed a yearlong battle against a difficult-to-treat knee infection. He chose hospice after the diagnosis.
Funeral services will be 1:00 PM on Tuesday, March 9th 2021 in the Chapel of the Laufersweiler-Sievers Funeral Home.
A visitation will be 11:00 to 1:00 PM on Tuesday at the funeral home. Private burial will be at the Iowa Veterans Cemetery in Van Meter.
Walter Whitecotton was born June 14, 1940, in Tulare, Calif., to Irene and Amos Whitecotton. He was the last of their nine children and 26 years younger than his oldest sibling. He often bragged about having a nephew who was older than him.
Sports played a huge role in his life from his early playing days to his last years as a devoted fan of his grandchildren's efforts. He was a standout baseball and basketball player at Marysville High School, from which he graduated in 1958. He then moved on to the U.S. Air Force, where he served as a military police officer but mostly as a second baseman on fastpitch softball teams. He played on service teams that traveled the world to play in armed services tournaments.
After his service days, Walter continued to play high-level fastpitch softball in Montana for several years and freely admitted that some of his jobs in that time came solely because of his ability on the diamond. It was a huge thrill for his family when he was inducted into the Montana Softball Hall of Fame in 1995.
He was stationed at Fortuna Air Force Base in Fortuna, N.D., when he met the love of his life, Faye Leidholm, a schoolteacher in Crosby, N.D. They met at a Montana bar just across the state line -- he had been playing in a basketball tournament, she and her teacher pals weren't allowed to be seen at a drinking establishment in Crosby. They were wed June 15, 1963, in Washburn, N.D., and were married 51 years until Faye's death on Aug. 28, 2014.
Their lives together included many moves: Great Falls, Bozeman, Missoula, Billings and Lewistown, Mont.; Sacramento, Calif.; and Truesdale, Manson, Meriden, Quimby and Larrabee, Iowa. Shortly after her death, Walter moved to Fort Dodge.
Three of their children were born in Montana -- Terri in Plentywood, Lisa in Missoula and Tim in Lewistown. In 1971 they moved to Manson, and daughter Tina was born in Fort Dodge.
In 1971, Walter began working for the school fundraising arm of Reader's Digest covering the northwest corner of Iowa, and the family settled in Manson, where he transitioned from player to parent/fan/coach and helped raise four children who carried his legacy onto the courts and diamonds at Manson High School and then into college athletics. He continued being a mentor to his children's children, another crop of athletes who inherited his love of competition.
He drove over a million miles, literally, through the years of his work. His two main vehicles during that period each surpassed 500,000 miles before being begrudgingly replaced, and he was almost mythical in his knowledge of every back road and shortcut in that region of the state. He developed many strong connections, none more so than his bond with Bishop Heelan High School in Sioux City, where he spent the first two weeks of every year leading a magazine sale that raised hundreds of thousands of dollars over the years.
In October 1985, he took the first step of a journey that changed the course of his life, and his commitment to and support from his 12-step partners defined much of his final 36 years.
He is survived by children Terri Wessels of Manson, Iowa; Lisa (Armon) Azevedo of Windsor, Calif., Tim Whitecotton of Minneapolis; and Tina (Josh) Danielson of Wesley Chapel, Fla.; grandchildren Brandon and Bryce Wessels; Elizabeth, Amanda and Anthony Azevedo; and Jordan, Chloe and Carli Danielson; and great-grandchild Beau Wessels.
He was preceded in death by his wife, Faye; parents, Irene Hafer and Amos Whitecotton; and his eight siblings: sisters Lois Wilson, Alice Rorie and Myrtle Burchfield; and brothers Charlie, Jerry, Jim, Frank and Alton Whitecotton.
Memorials may be left to the discretion of the family.
Tributes
Lou Nistler wrote on Jun 21, 2021:
"I knew him from his days in Plentywood. He was the best fast pitch softball hitter I ever saw. For a short time he was just a few houses away and played catch with me a few times. He was a good friend with my uncle and always a kind man. Clearly he touched my life 50+ years ago and for sure, so very many more. "
Ralph Helmer wrote on Mar 11, 2021:
" I met Whitey in ?72 as a rookie with QSP. He was not just a gifted athlete but a caring co-worker and friend. We shared many stories and laughs over the years. When I drove through Iowa in recent years I?d stay at Whitey?s apartment and we?d take drives to his favorite ice cream place and I?d get a history lesson about QSP as well as the Fort Dodge area. Whitey stayed with us whenever he passed through Georgia on his way to Wesley Chapel, Florida to watch his granddaughters play volleyball. Most importantly, Whitey was a believer and we prayed for each other during our battles with cancer. A great friend! We will miss you, Whitey. Ralph & Pat Helmer"
Marion Van Soelen wrote on Mar 10, 2021:
"Dear Family,I am a retired principal of Western Christian High School and also Unity Christian. Walt helped our students raise a lot of money via magazine sales. Walt was one of the nicest persons you could ever meet. He was humble and a low keyed salesman that our students and staff loved. He will be loved by the angels in heaven! Marion Van Soelen, retired principal, Hull, IA"
Jeff Duncan wrote on Mar 9, 2021:
"Though Walt and I only knew each other for a short time, I considered him a great friend! We had a common love, baseball! The first time I met him was Brandon\'s and my son\'s freshman year at BV. We found ourselves freezing our butts off watching a game in near freezing temperatures. We immediately hit it off and I looked forward to each time BV played so I would get to see Walt as well as the Wessels\' family. He was such a kind person and I am honored that I was able to spend some time with him over the last several years. God speed my friend."
David Harris wrote on Mar 9, 2021:
"I knew him from noon Wednesday Brown Bag meeting in Leeds. Always encouraging. "
Don Shoemaker wrote on Mar 8, 2021:
"Walter(Whitey)As class mates in grade school and high school, we became friends and team mates, as we were both very active in sports. I think that in the last 5 or 6 years, I really got to find out what a terrific person he was. Hobbled by family issues in his Marysville days,he never gave in but per severed, which was a testament to his character and will . We will miss you.Don Shoemaker"
Steve Shanks wrote on Mar 7, 2021:
"God bless Walter. He showed his love for Christ and other people every time we talked. Thank you Walter for your friendship."
