Nathan B. Wessel fulfilled his dream of going to college. “He was lucky enough to be a part-time student at Elgin Community College,” said his mother, Wendy. Mr. Wessel, 21, died of complications from a brain-stem tumor Monday, Jan. 26, in St. Joseph Hospital, Elgin. Born and raised in Elgin, he spent most of his life in a wheelchair. He was quite intelligent and “loved to argue with his doctors,” his mother said. He attended Huff Elementary School, Abbott Junior High School and Larkin High School, where he played on a wheelchair floor hockey team. He graduated in 2001, then went to Elgin Community College part time for a semester. Involved for nearly 10 years with the Easter Seals Jayne Shover Center in Elgin, Mr. Wessel made an appearance on an Easter Seals telethon in 1985. “He opened people’s eyes that just because you’re in a wheelchair, you’re not all that different,” his mother said. Other survivors include his father, Gregory; his brothers, Keith and Drew; his paternal grandparents, Tom and Joyce; and his maternal grandmother, Lynn Schwartz. Visitation will be from 4 to 8 p.m. Thursday in Lair Funeral Home, 310 S. State St., Elgin. A private service will be held Friday.
