DAVENPORT - Funeral services celebrating the life of Isaac W. Aldape, of Davenport, will be noon today at Halligan-McCabe-DeVries Funeral Home, Davenport. Burial will be in Mt. Calvary Cemetery. Visitation will be two hours before service time at the funeral home. Mr. Aldape passed away Thursday, July 14, 2005, at Genesis Medical Center-West Campus. Isaac W. Aldape was born April 14, 1916, in Austin, Texas, the son of Apolonio and Beatriz (Waybourn) Aldape. At the age of 12 he left home and the adventure we call his life began. He was deported to Mexico after riding a freight train from St. Paul to Chicago. Finding himself in a third world country at the age of 12 must have been bewildering and frightening. BUT HE SURVIVED! He survived to create a plan to somehow reach the other side of the border to the USA. While there he worked as an interpreter for the Mexican Army. At the age of 14 he owned a horse when few adults had such transportation. He eventually crossed over the border to the land of his birth with a group of school children. The saga of how he crossed the desert with the help of strangers was truly a miracle. He traveled through many states to return to the Midwest and the brother he left behind. In Montana he worked in the sugar beet fields and as an onion topper. In Illinois and Iowa he worked as a commercial fisherman and for a railroad. Somewhere along the way he learned to play the mandolin and during the Depression he belonged to a band that played for 10 cents a song. Isaac was an entrepreneur, opening several thriving businesses in the west end of Davenport. His idea to travel from farm to farm with produce and other wares continued for several years. He built, owned, and operated the hardware store that later became Hildy's Hardware. He had the first Schwinn Bike Shop in Iowa and it later became Sparky's Bike Shop. Eventually he sold the property, which is now Happy Joe's on Rockingham Road in Davenport. He was also an auctioneer and owned several second hand shops. Isaac always had more than two jobs. His business knowledge was gained by asking questions, on the job training, and making mistakes. A generous man with his time and talents, Isaac was also involved with school and church fundraisers at St. Alphonsus. His ideas of selling Christmas trees and having an auction became annual fundraising events. His suggestion of a parish credit union was also developed. He had more ideas than time. Finally Isaac worked for the City of Davenport on the Street Department, then as a Sidewalk Inspector, retiring after 18 years. Memorials may be made to St. Alphonsus Catholic Church or a favorite charity. Survivors include his children, Paul, South Bend, Ind., Beatrice Castro, Bettendorf, David (Barbara), Richard, Mary (Robert) Simonton, and Chris, all of Davenport, and Elizabeth Aldape, Ft. Wayne, Ind.; 17 grandchildren; and 16 great grandchildren. His wife, Lucy, brother, Paul, sister, Annie, son-in-law, Peter Castro, and great-grandson, Daniel Ossowski, preceded him in death.