Joseph Orville Vittitoe age 74, passed away on Tuesday, Nov. 24, 2020, at his home in Modale. Joe was born in Missouri Valley, to Clarence Orville and Mary Agnus (McCrickard) Vittitoe on Jan. 15, 1946. He graduated from West Harrison High School in 1964. He married Marcella (aka Sal) Josephine (Hanley) Vittitoe on June 11, 1965. He attended the Nettleton-Boyle Van Sant Business School in Omaha, Neb. and graduated with a degree in Accounting. He started out with Union Pacific Railroad as a Claims Investigator and later moved on to become a Locomotive Engineer. He worked for UP until he retired in 2006. He was also very dedicated to his community and at various times was the city clerk, town councilmember, constable, Town & Country Arts board member and senior citizen’s housing board member, along with volunteer firefighter and first responder.
Joe is preceded in death by his parents, Clarence and Mary (McCrickard) Vittitoe, his sister and brother-in-law, Don and Mary Elaine (Vittitoe) Baxa, his brother and sister-in-law, Duaine and Grayce (Walker) Vittitoe, his nephew Jason Lind, his great-niece Gena Faaborg, and his mother-in-law Anna Hanley.
Joe is survived by his wife of 55 years, Marcella (Hanley) Vittitoe and his children, Robert (and Gayle) Vittitoe, Trayce (and Mark) Wohlers and DeEtte West. He had seven grandchildren, Jessica (Vittitoe) Whiteowl, Robert Vittitoe Jr, Alexa (Vittitoe) Conrad, Janessa (Wohlers) Aistrope, Tyler Pendland, Kristina Pendland and Douglas Remington West. He had four great-grandchildren; Christopher Whiteowl, Sophia Pendland, Josephine Whiteowl, and Luna Pendland.
A Rosary Service will be Friday, Dec. 4, 2020 at 6:00 p.m. with a visitation to follow at 7:00 p.m. at St. Patrick’s Catholic Church in Missouri Valley. The Funeral Service will be on Saturday, Dec. 5, 2020, at the St. Patrick’s Catholic Church in Missouri Valley. Father Raphael Masabakhwa will be the Celebrant. Lyle Waterhouse will be the Organist and Tyler Pendland as the vocalist. The Music selections will be “On Eagle’s Wings”, “Alleluia” and “Amazing Grace”. Honorary Casket Bearers are Daniel Baxa, Mark Wohlers, Douglas James West, Richard (Vittitoe) Sell, Marty Skinner, Kevin Pendland, and Jep DeLozier. The Casket Bearers are Robert Vittitoe Jr., Tyler Pendland, Dakotaha Whiteowl, Derek Aistrope, Nick Pendland, Douglas Remington West, and Christopher Whiteowl. The final resting place will be at Mt. Carmel Cemetery in Missouri Valley.
