Richard was the youngest of four children. He was born to Charles Edward and Oeetah (Collins) Weibling on April 22nd, 1927. He was born and raised in Robinson, Kansas. His mother Oeetah saved money back from doing wash for people, and purchased a used trumpet for Richard when he was 9 or 10 years old. He played in the Robinson School Band for awhile, even playing in the Robinson Bandstand for Saturday Night Street Dances. The family then moved to Kansas City, Kansas where Richard attended Wyandotte High School. He later played that same horn in a Dixie Land Band, and held lead position, playing solo. Richard tried to join the Army when he got out of High School, but because of a lung defect, was denied. He went to work for the Kansas City Bus Company. It was then he met Rose Marie McCleary for the first time. On their first date, they walked for hours in the rain. They continued to date and became engaged shortly after, but Richard's parents thought they were too young to marry, so they broke up. They were not to meet again for seven years. |
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Richard was then drafted into the Army. Rose went on to marry someone else. She had two children, Cecil Ross and Cecilia Rose (pictured at right). That marriage ended in divorce in 1951. While Richard was serving our country in the Korean War, A good friend of his was walking along side him one day and stepped on a land mine. They were both wounded in action. It blew off the man's foot, but he survived. Richard's body was full of shrapnel. Richard and his |
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| friend were both hospitalized in Sasebo, Japan. Three weeks later Richard was sent back out on the front lines. He was not even completely healed. He was an excellent marksman, so I guess they needed him. Later in life he would set off the metal detectors in the airports because of the shrapnel, | |
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and every once in a while, he
would pull a piece of metal out of his body. He was awarded the Purple Heart for
injuries received. After returning to Kansas City in 1952, he immediately went back to work at the Kansas City Bus Company, working on trolley cars and buses. He also went looking for Rose. Richard found Rose at her sister's restaurant, and after talking only for a few minutes, he said, "This time you're gonna marry me!". |
| They were married
about a month later, on October 25th, 1952. He adopted her two children and raised
them as his own. He was the only father they ever knew. He was a good mechanic and also attended classes to further his career as an electrical engineer. During their marriage, Rose took care of Richard's father, Charles Edward, for the last year and a half of his life. He was in a wheel chair after a leg amputation, and was blind due to diabetes. He passed away in their home in Kansas City in 1963. |
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A daughter was born to Richard and Rose Feb. 18th, 1966. They named her Denise Antoinette Weibling (pictured at right with Rose). Richard worked for Armco Steel in Kansas City, Missouri most of his adult life. He retired from Armco in 1989 and he and Rose spent the next five years in Texas. He was a member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars and a Lifetime American Legion Member. He was the post commander of the V.F.W. in Mason, TX 1992-1993. |
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After returning to Missouri in 1994, they bought a home in Plattsburg, Mo. Richard was always a hard worker, providing all his family needed. Rose was a gentle soul. She always had a positive out-look, but was full of fire! (Richard couldn't get away with much!) They both had a great sense of humor and were very social. Richard Max Weibling passed away November 27th, 1998 from cancer. He was 71 years old. Rose and their two daughters, along with a niece Joyce Lawrence, took care of him in their home until he breathed his last. Richard is buried in Leavenworth National Cemetery, Leavenworth, KS. To view his obituary click here.
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