Virgil F. Stammeyer 1926- 2008

STAMMEYER, MEINERT, MCLEES, LEZCANO, HANLEY

Posted By: Cheryl Locher Moonen (email)
Date: 7/27/2016 at 12:59:26

May 20, 2008 edition of the Dubuque Telegraph Herald

Virgil F. Stammeyer, 82, of 2700 Matthew John Dr., formerly of 1716 Lawndale, died at 9:35 p.m. Saturday, May 17, 2008, at Mercy Medical Center-Dubuque.

Services will be at 11 a.m. Thursday, May 22, at Nativity Catholic Church, 1225 Alta Vista St., where friends may call after 9 a.m. Thursday. Burial will be in Mount Olivet Cemetery, Key West, Iowa. The Leonard Funeral Home & Crematory, 2595 Rockdale Road, is in charge of arrangements.

He was born on Feb. 26, 1926, in Waucoma, Iowa, son of Mathew and Anna (Meinert) Stammeyer. He married C. Patricia McLees on June 11, 1947, at Saint Martin's Catholic Church, Cascade.

He graduated from Visitation High School in Stacyville, in 1944, and Loras College, Dubuque, in 1948. In August of 1951, he graduated from the Iowa State Police Academy and began his career as a state trooper.

Virgil was an Iowa state trooper and covered Dubuque and Eastern Iowa until his retirement as a senior trooper on July 1, 1990. On June 22, 1990, Virgil and his son Matt, also a Iowa state trooper, were involved in a high-speed chase that began in Maquoketa and ended in Key West with both Virgil and the suspect receiving gunshot wounds. the Top Cop TV show featured this incident several years later. After retirement, Virgil continued to serve at the Dubuque County Sheriff's Department.

He was a member of Nativity Parish, the Iowa State Troopers Association and the retired State Police Officers Association.

Virgil loved to play cards, especially euchre with his friends at the former Al Steve's Garage.

Surviving are his wife, Patricia; and four children, Charlotte Lezcano, of Portland, Cassie (Dean) Hanley, of Lodi, Wis., Jane Welsh, of Alexandria, Va., and Matt (Sue) Stammeyer, of De Witt, Iowa; six grandchildren, Abel Lezcano, Sara Garcia, Bill Welsh, John, Erin and Joe Stammeyer; six great-grandchildren; and a brother, Eugene, of Alexandria, Va.

He was preceded in death by his parents; and an infant brother, Karl.