Person:Walter Ballata (1)

Gazette, The (Cedar Rapids-Iowa City, IA) - Wednesday, April 25, 2001

Walter E. Sebesta, 87, died April 23, 2001, in Mechanicsville Nursing and Rehab Center after a brief illness. Memorial services: 10:30 a.m. Thursday, St. Mary's Catholic Church, Mechanicsville. Burial: Rose Hill Cemetery, with military rites. Friends may call from 4 to 7:30 p.m. today at Morgan Funeral Home, Mechanicsville, where a wake service will be held at 7 p.m. Survivors include a sister, Helen Ertz of Burlington. Also surviving are many nieces and nephews; and his friend and former law partner, John Kuehnle, his wife Donna, and their family. Walter was preceded in death by his wife of 56 years, Helen, who died June 4, 1998; his parents; and sons Tommy and Frank Joseph. Born Oct. 13, 1913, in St. Paul, Minn., the son of Frank and Anna Sebesta, Walter moved with his family to several Midwest communities before eventually settling in Burlington. After graduating from St. Paul's high school, he continued his education at St. Louis University and St. Ambrose College, where he was a member of the varsity football team. He received his law degree from Drake University in 1936. He married Helen Hawkins of Burlington at the Shrine of St. Theresa in Juneau, Alaska, on Nov. 27, 1941. They had the distinction of being the first couple to be married there. He served his country in World War II as a member of the Counter Intelligence Corps, being rescued behind German lines during the Battle of the Bulge. Walter practiced law in eastern Iowa for over 50 years. The first years he practiced law in Burlington, and over 40 years in Mechanicsville. On June 20, 1986, Walter was awarded a certificate by the Iowa State Bar Association for his practice of law for more than a half century. A memorial fund has been established.