DICKINSON, Merle
DICKINSON, BENJEGERDES, FENTON, KLOBERDANZ, HENDRICKSON, PEGIS, FEDDERSEN, SLIVKEN, NOVAK, WEST, GALLARDO, HEINZE
Posted By: Sharon R Becker (email)
Date: 12/11/2018 at 05:11:14
Obituary ~ Merle Dickinson
January 03, 1927 ~ October 31, 2013The Globe Gazette
Mason City, Cerro Gordo County, Iowa
Saturday, March 13, 1943Merle Dickinson, 86, of Cedar Falls, formerly of Sioux City, died at Windsor Nursing & Rehab Center on Thursday, October 31, 2013 of natural causes.
Merle was born on January 3, 1927 in Manly, Iowa, the son of Earl and Lizzie Benjegerdes Dickinson. He graduated from Manly High School and then enlisted in the Army serving in Germany for two years. Then graduated from ISTC (UNI) with BA and MA in Business Education.
Merle married Phyllis Fenton on June 12, 1949 in Waterloo.
Merle managed the family dairy farm for several years, then taught Distributive Education in Charles City before becoming Business Dept. Chair at West Iowa Community College prior to serving as Vice President of Finance at Goodwill Industries, all in Sioux City.
Upon retiring to Waterloo in 1992, the couple launched Dickinson Tours, hosting trips to musical events in the Midwest. The Dickinson family always enjoyed singing together and presented many holiday concerts for the community.
Merle's number one hobby was Barbershop singing. He co-founded and directed choruses in Mason City and Sioux City, served as Central States President and serving on the International Board of the Barbershop Society. He served as church choir director and soloist for many churches, He was President of Sioux City Kiwanis Club and Lt. Governor of the Iowa-Nebraska District of Kiwanis International.
He is survived by his wife of Cedar Falls; daughter Lynn (Gary) Kloberdanz of Waterloo; daughter Jan (Duane) Hendrickson of Medina, Minn.; daughter Dawn Jon) Pegis of Skokie, Ill.; 9 grandchildren: Angela Feddersen, Brandt (Michele) Slivken, Leah (Aaron) Novak, all of Colorado; Erik Slivken of Seattle, Wash.; David Hendrickson and Kathleen Hendrickson of Medina, Philip (Kelly) West, Peter (Samantha) West of Tulsa, Okla., Stephen West of Amsterdam; 3 step grandchildren: Tara Gallardo, Brett Kloberdanz, and Jason (Melissa) Kloberdanz; great grandchildren: Garrett and Elsa Heinze, Isabella West and Eliza and Charlie Novak; and 4 step great grandchildren: Diego, Andres and Brisa Gallardo and Kiley Kloberdanz.
Merle as preceded in death by his parents and one brother Carroll of Mason City.
[Interment was made at Memorial Park Cemetery, Mason City, Iowa.]
Transcriptions by Sharon R. Becker, December of 2018
Cerro Gordo Obituaries maintained by Lynn Diemer-Mathews.
WebBBS 4.33 Genealogy Modification Package by WebJourneymen