Mike Wessel

Michael Kevin Wessel was born June 6, 1961, at the Adair County Memorial Hospital in Greenfield, the son of Albert and Betty (Sullivan) Wessel. He passed away on Thursday, July 15, 2021, at his home in Greenfield, at the age of 60.

His name was to be Kevin Michael, but Albert wrote it wrong on the birth certificate. As a kid, Mike grew up on his parent’s farm that was eight miles east of Greenfield on the Stuart Road. Mike loved to help his dad on the farm but didn’t really like to help his mom in the garden, he would rather be with his dad on the tractor.

As Mike got older he would wait until mom and dad would leave and he and Chris would sneak off on the tractor. Mike would have to miss school to help on the farm and he loved it. The school complained and Betty went in and gave them a what for lecture and they never complained again about him missing any more school.

After graduation, he moved to Colorado and lived with his brother Jeff for a while. He had a lot of crazy times out there to say the least.

He moved back to Greenfield in 1988. Mike harvested for Randy Caviness for the past 20-plus years. He met the love of his life and best friend, Rita Parrott. After only a little over a year of dating they were both very surprised they were going to be parents and a bigger shock when they heard it was twins. Rita has a daughter, Ashley when they met and Mike automatically claimed her as his daughter, so going from bachelor party pad to “holy crap I have a kid and two on the way.” The twins, Kevin and Kaleb, were born in October 1992 and not long after, they welcomed a daughter, Kayleigh in 1993. Mike and Rita celebrated 30 years together on March 16, 2021.

Mike loved being a dad and got even more excited when Ashley blessed them with two grandsons. Mike was all about his kids and grandkids, he loved them and Rita to the moon and back. He enjoyed hanging out with buddies and looked forward to his Friday drives with Greg Newbury.

He was preceded in death by his mother, Betty Wessel; father- and mother-in-law, Herbert and Sherry Parrott; and two sisters-in-law, Teena Parrott and Zena Lyman.

He is survived by his wife, Rita Wessel of Greenfield; two daughters, Ashley Parrott of Greenfield and Kayleigh Wessel (Jason Goldsberry) of Polk City; two sons, Kevin and Kaleb Wessel of Greenfield; two grandsons, Hayden and Trevyn Colton of Greenfield; father, Albert Wessel of Greenfield; two brothers, Jeff Wessel of Aurora, Colorado and Chris Wessel (Tina) of Winterset; nieces; nephews; other relatives and friends.

Funeral services were 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, July 21, 2021, at United Methodist Church in Greenfield with burial in the Greenfield Cemetery. Pastor Melinda Stonebraker officiated. Steen Funeral Home in Greenfield is in charge of arrangements.  Online condolences may be left to the family at www.steenfunerals.com.

Memorials may be directed to the Mike Wessel Memorial Fund to be established by the family at a later date.