DAVID W. GEERTSEMA 1950 - 2003

THRASHER, GEERTSEMA, LAWLER, BEACH, KREGER, EAGER

Posted By: Mary Durr (email)
Date: 9/11/2003 at 20:00:36

David W. Geertsema

Tuesday, July 22, 2003

David W. Geertsema, 53, of 5133 Asbury Road, died Sunday July 20, 2003, at Mercy Medical Center-Dubuque.

Services will be at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday at Resurrection Catholic Church, 4300 Asbury Road. Burial will be in Mount Olivet Cemetery, Key West, Iowa. Friends may call from 3 to 8 p.m. today at Egelhof, Siegert & Casper Westview Funeral Home, 2659 Kennedy Road, where there will be a Resurrection Parish Christian wake service at 7:30 p.m.

Mr. Geertsema was a teacher at Eisenhower Elementary School for 26 years, teaching in grades fourth, fifth and sixth. He retired from teaching in 1997 for health reasons.

He was born in Aplington, Iowa, on April 18, 1950, son of William and Marie (Thrasher) Geertsema. He and the former Janet Lawler were married on June 8, 1974, at St. Joseph's Catholic Church, Key West.

David moved to Dubuque from Shell Rock, Iowa, in 1972 to begin his teaching career. He graduated from Wartburg College in 1972, and received his master's degree from Clarke College in 1978.

He was a member of Resurrection Parish, where he was active in music ministry. He also was a member of the American Diabetes Association and the American Heart Association.

He was committed to his music ministry and sang at many weddings and funerals in the Dubuque area. His sense of humor, his voice and his commitment to service will be dearly missed. He was a devoted husband, father, grandfather, son, brother, teacher and friend.

Surviving are his wife, Janet (Lawler) Geertsema; two daughters, Amy (Charlie) Beach, of Waverly, Iowa, and Elizabeth Geertsema, of Dubuque; a grandson, Grant David Beach; his mother, Marie Geertsema, of Marion, Iowa; two sisters, Dolly (Jerry) Kreger, of Waverly, and Donna Eager, of Marion, Iowa; and a brother, Donald Geertsema, of Conover, N.C.

He was preceded in death by his father, William Geertsema, on July 21, 1969.

In lieu of flowers, a David W. Geertsema Memorial Fund has been established.

The family wishes to extend a special thank-you to Drs. Thomas Johnson and Mark Moore and the nurses and staff at Mercy Medical Center- Dubuque for their kindness and care over the years.