Obituary for Wesley Shane Dethrow

Wesley Shane Dethrow passed away on May 13, 2026, at home after a courageous battle with cancer at the age of 54, leaving behind a family who adored him and a community that relied on him more than he ever realized.

Wes was born on September 26, 1971, in Newton, Iowa. He attended elementary school in Kellogg and junior high and high school in Newton, graduating with the Class of 1990. During school, he was active in FFA and football, but his true passion was always working on cars.

From an early age, Wes had a natural curiosity about how things worked. He could often be found taking toys apart and putting them back together again — a talent that grew into a successful lifelong career built on a mechanical intuition that simply could not be taught. He received the Maytag Scholarship Award and attended DMACC, where he earned his Associate’s Degree through the Ford ASSET Program.

While attending DMACC, Wes worked at Axtell Ford and continued there after graduation. Over more than 30 years in the automotive industry, he built trucks, traveled, and even appeared on television. Although he was a Ford mechanic by trade, to those who loved him, he was so much more — a steady presence, a problem-solver, and a man who showed his love through hard work. He spent his life doing what he loved: fixing things, helping people, and taking pride in a job done right.

Wes married Erika Van Dike on April 27, 1996, and together they built a beautiful life in Newton.

His family was his greatest joy, especially his girls. He taught his daughters the value of hard work, integrity, and earning what you want in life. Wes was the hardest-working person many knew and always had a project in motion, no matter how big — even building houses from the ground up. He learned so much from his parents, JR and Cindy, and there seemed to be nothing he could not do with his hands.

Wes believed that if something was worth doing, it was worth doing well, and he lived that belief every day.

He is survived by his wife, Erika Dethrow of Newton; his daughters, Grace (Brian) Bleakney of Newton and Lane (Trevor) Ergenbright of Des Moines; his beloved granddaughter, Adalynn Bleakney of Newton; his parents, JR and Cindy Dethrow of Baxter; his sister, Deanette McGill (Jimmy Kruse) of Colo; his in-laws, Chuck and Kathy Van Dike of Norwalk; his brother-in-law Adam (Lindy) Van Dike of West Des Moines; along with many nieces, nephews, close friends, and extended family members.

He was preceded in death by his grandparents, Ray and Velta Davies, Jewell and Helen Dethrow, and his brother-in-law, Sean McGill.

A celebration of Wes’s life will be held on May 23, 2026 at 11:00am, at Valley Church in West Des Moines.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made in Wes’s memory to a scholarship fund benefiting a student pursuing automotive studies. Contributions can be directed to Erika Dethrow.