- Date Of Birth: March 12, 1907
- Date Of Death: December 7, 2007
- State: Iowa
Pauline “Polly” Wentzel, the daughter of William C. and Esther Peck, was born March 12, 1907 in Olin, Iowa. She graduated from the Olin Consolidated School in 1924. After graduating from Iowa State Teachers’ college, she was a student-teacher in Waterloo. She then taught primary at Lincoln and Emerson Hough Schools in Newton.
In 1930, she married Harley A. Wentzel. In an era when married women were not allowed to teach full time, she filled in as substitute teacher for several years while raising two sons, Bill and Jon.
After Harley’s death in 1966, Polly continued to be busy with clubs and civic organizations.
Polly enjoyed playing bridge and traveling. In the company of her two sisters and brother-in-law, she made many trips across the United States, Mexico and Canada. In 1968, she was a member of the entourage that accompanied Miss Iowa to Hawaii for the Miss America Pageant.
She moved to Wesley Park Centre in June 1992. As macular degeneration progressed, she faced two major challenges – giving up her car and bridge games.
Polly passed away December 7, 2007 at Park Centre in Newton. She was 100. Polly was preceded in death by her parents; her sisters; her husband, Harley in 1996; and son, Jon in 2005.
Those left to honor Polly are her son and daughter-in-law, Bill and Bonni of Manhattan, Kansas; one daughter-in-law, Linda Wentzel of Charlotte, North Carolina; nine grandchildren and 15 great-grandchildren.
