Justin P. Witter

CEDAR RAPIDS: Justin P. Witter, 36, of Cedar Rapids, formerly of Mason City, died as a result of a one-car motor vehicle accident that was discovered July 20, 2016. Funeral services will be held 1:30 PM Thursday, July 28, 2016 at St. James Lutheran Church, 1148 4th Street, SE, Mason City, Iowa with Pastor Jeni Bohls officiating. Burial will take place at Elmwood-St. Joseph Cemetery, Mason City. Military rites will be conducted by the Mason City Veterans Association. Visitation will be held from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m. Wednesday, July 27, 2016, at Major Erickson Funeral Home, 111 N. Pennsylvania Avenue, Mason City, Iowa 50401. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to the Justin P. Witter memorial fund in care of the family.

Justin was born September 17, 1979, in Mason City, the son of Christa A. Guthrie and the late Scott E. Witter. He attended Mason City schools, Marshalltown Community College, and Iowa State University. As a young boy, he was a wrestler and played in the Mason City Little League, and the Mustang traveling baseball team. He loved sports and the Iowa Hawkeyes. Justin was a senior member of DeMolay International and a former member of the Masonic Lodge in Cedar Rapids. Justin was honorably discharged from the U.S. Army and had served as a member of the Iowa National Guard, Cedar Rapids.

Justin’s highest priority and greatest joy in life was his daughter, Faith Sarai Witter, born to Justin and Charlotte Pledge. Justin worked in sales and customer service for several businesses in Cedar Rapids. His passion was politics and religion, which he often said did not make him many friends. But those who met him always considered his passion and consideration of others. He was born on Constitution Day, September 17, the day the Constitution was signed. He strongly believed in the Constitution of the United States and freedom that it stood for and was very proud of the flag and what it stood for, the United States of America. He was concerned about how far we have strayed from the Constitution. “There was an old saying that if you find yourself off the beaten path and you’re kinda lost, go back to the path you were on. Our founding fathers were there. They put us in the right direction, and we need to get back on that path,” Witter said. This is why he filed with the Federal Election Commission as a 2016 presidential candidate for the Constitution Party.

Justin is survived by his parents: Christa and Ron Guthrie, Mason City; brother: Chris Witter and Brandy Reed of Cedar Rapids; his daughter, Faith Witter and her mother, Charlotte Pledge and two children Michael & Krista Meier of Cedar Rapids; nieces and nephews: Xavier Witter, Alexandra (Lexie) Curtis, Marquise Graham, Brennon Clark, Mercedes Davidson, Keegan Ankeny; adopted sister: Emily Witter, Mason City; step-mother: Teri Witter, Des Moines; uncles and aunts: Richard and April Kleinschmidt, Nashua; Robert and Vicki Kleinschmidt, Trempealeau, Wisconsin; Vikki (Witter) Walters, Holland, IA ; Jeff Mills, Cedar Rapids; special cousins: Kelly Gerrits, Amy Kejo, Amy Vohs, Alex Kleinschmidt, Kyle Kleinschmidt, Seth Kleinschmidt, Alex Mills, and Benjamin Mills; great aunts, Eileen (Jo) Korte and Norma Noel; and one great uncle, Lloyd Korte.

He was preceded in death by his father, Scott E. Witter; maternal grandparents: Norman and Thelma Kleinschmidt; paternal grandparents: Phyllis and Harold Witter; great-grandparents: Elsie and Howard Halley, Louise and Karl Kleinschmidt, and Clara and Paul Wiebke.