BOOTH, Clifford M.

BOOTH, MCFADDEN, GESELSCHAP, COCO, SUNKENBERG

Posted By: Lynette Edsall (email)
Date: 9/30/2008 at 13:47:47

CLIFFORD M. BOOTH
(September 1, 1925 - September 27, 2008)

CLIFFORD M. BOOTH, 83, of Des Moines, Iowa and former long time Cherokee resident passed away Saturday, September 27, 2008 at the Taylor House in Des Moines.

Funeral services will be held Thursday, October 2nd, at 11 a.m. at the Memorial Presbyterian Church in Cherokee, Iowa. Rev. Ethan Sayler will officiate. Burial will be in the Oak Hill Cemetery in Cherokee. There will be military rites at the cemetery by L. A. Wescott Post #2253 of the V.F.W. There will be a family prayer service at 10:45 a.m. at the Church on Thursday. Visitation will from 10 a.m. until 8 p.m. on Wednesday at the Boothby Funeral Home in Cherokee with the family present from 6:30 p.m. until 8 p.m. The Oddfellow Lodge will have memorial services at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday evening at the funeral home. On line condolences may be sent to www.boothbyfuneral.com

Clifford was born September 1, 1925 at Strubel, Iowa to James E. and Charlotte (McFadden) Booth. He attended Lincoln Jr. and Wilson High School. Cliff left school before graduating and joined the military and helped support his family. What he didn’t learn in the classroom, he learned through life. He inspired many family members along the way, teaching us to value what we have and above all, a love of life, family and faith. He was a veteran of World War II, serving in the U. S. Maritime Marines. Most of his time was spent in the South Pacific. This was where he began his life long love for coin collecting. Cliff married the love of his life Jean Irene Geselschap on June 19, 1945 in Orange City, Iowa. Cliff worked for the Cherokee County Maintenance Department, a job he loved. He was on a grade crew and retired in 1987. We think in the end he was on a CAT headed for Mom on the other side. He was a member of the Memorial Presbyterian Church and had been a Boy Scout leader for many years. He was a long time resident of Cherokee; moving to Des Moines in 2003 due to failing health to be close to his daughter. Initially residing on Willow St., following the Flood of 1993, he moved to the Colony Addition. He loved to putter in his garage and loved to collect old tools and coins, enjoyed genealogy, spending time with family, especially his grandsons and nephews. Family vacations, camping, fishing, were another pastime. The I.O.O.F. Lodge was a special part of Cliff’s life. Being a member in Cherokee, Storm Lake and Indianola, and the Rebekah Lodge in Cherokee He spent many dedicated hours to the I.O.O.F. Mason City Retirement Home. He had held many offices in the Lodge and had been the Grand Master of the State of Iowa.

He was preceded in death by his parents, his wife on February 20, 2002, an infant sister Alice Booth, an infant brother Elmer Booth and a brother Emery “Jack” Booth.

He is survived by a daughter and a son: Diana Coco and her husband Chris of Des Moines, Iowa; Lonnie Booth of Clearwater, Florida; two grandchildren Christian and Gabriel Coco; two brothers: James Booth and his wife Gladys of Grinnell, Iowa; Leroy Booth and his wife Rose of Spencer, Iowa; a sister Joyce Sunkenberg and her husband Everett of Mesa, Arizona.