Retired Army Maj. Gen. William D. “Dave” Weller, a World War II veteran and the oldest living adjutant general of Colorado at the time of his death, will be interred with full military honors at Olinger Crown Hill Mortuary and Cemetery in Wheat Ridge on Sunday, the Colorado National Guard announced.

Weller died Oct. 16 in Denver. He was 98.

“We have the privilege of paying our respects to a great American and warrior who served our communities, state and nation for nearly four decades,” said Adjutant General of Colorado Air Force Maj. Gen. Michael Loh in a statement.

Weller served as adjutant general and executive director of military affairs from 1974-1979 under former Colorado Govs. John D. Vanderhoof and Richard D. Lamm.

He will be laid to rest beside his wife of 73 years, Virginia.

Weller enlisted in the Colorado Army National Guard in Durango on Dec. 2, 1940.  His unit, Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 168th Field Artillery Motorized Battalion, was activated for federal service on Feb. 24, 1941, before the United States entered World War II. He was commissioned by the Army at Officer Candidate School at Fort Sill, Oklahoma, on Aug. 4, 1942, and assigned to the Field Artillery Replacement Training Center at the base.

During World War II, Weller deployed to the European Theater of Operations as commanding officer for Battery B and later Headquarters and Headquarters Battery of the Army’s 862nd Field Artillery Battalion.  He led his battery, part of the 63rd Infantry Division, from France across Germany during 120 days of continuous combat.  The battery crossed the Saar River, the Siegfried Line, the Rhine River, and reached Landsberg, Germany, near the Austrian border, where combat ended for the division and his battery.

Weller was promoted to major general Jan. 26, 1977. Read his military biography here.

“Major General Weller lived the Army values his entire life,” said Army Maj. David Nagel, full-time support chaplain for the Colorado National Guard, in a statement. “He was a humble, brave, servant-hearted leader who cared deeply for the troops he led and the state of Colorado.”

Weller was a registered professional engineer in Colorado. Over a 30-year career, he worked as an engineer in Montrose, as district representative in Durango and as general superintendent charged with all operations of the Western Colorado Power Company from his office in Montrose.

After retiring from the military, Weller continued to serve the community in many ways as an active member in  civic organizations on the Western Slope and in the Denver area.  He had a long-term interest in community affairs.  He was also an avid collector of minerals and an expert faceter and worker in stone jewelry materials.

Weller is survived by his daughter Joan Turnell and his sons Dave, Jim, and Ron Weller, as well as six grandchildren and six great grandchildren.

The interment ceremony is scheduled to begin at 3 p.m. Sunday at the cemetery, 777 W. 29th Ave., in Wheat Ridge. It’s open to the public.

Former governors of Colorado and numerous general officers, former adjutants general, members of Congress and state lawmakers are expected to attend, the Guard said.