Reverend Dick Lee Watkins 1930-2002

WATKINS, MARPLE, WELLS

Posted By: Lori Clark (email)
Date: 10/9/2002 at 12:03:08

Reverend Dick Lee Watkins, 71, of 2017 Rochester Avenue, Iowa City died Tuesday, January 29, 2002 at Mercy Hospital, Iowa City following lengthy illnesses.

Funeral services will be 11:00 a.m., Saturday, February 2, 2002 at the First United Methodist Church in Iowa City with Reverend Paul Akin and Reverend Bob Dean officiating. Visitation will be from 3 to 7 p.m., Friday, February 1, 2002 at Gay & Ciha Funeral & Cremation Service, Iowa City. Memorial fund has been established with the First United Methodist Church in Iowa City and Voices of Experience (Senior Citizens Chorus).

Reverend Watkins was born on September 4, 1930 in Cherokee, Iowa the son of Lew S. and Edith Marple Lee Watkins. He graduated from Storm Lake High School, Storm Lake, Iowa in 1948, attended Buena Vista College in Storm Lake and he received his Bachelors of Arts Degree from Cornell University in Mt. Vernon. Dick received his Master’s degree in Theology from the University of Dubuque Theological Seminary in 1961. Dick married Marilyn Joy Wells on March 9, 1952. He served his country as a paratrooper in the United States Army during the Korean Conflict.
Reverend Watkins served as pastor at Hopkinton, Ft. Dodge, Belmond, West Liberty, Marion, Amish Circuit and retired from the First United Methodist Church in Iowa City. Marilyn Joy Watkins died June 27, 1994. He married Linda L. Peters on May 27, 1995 at First United Methodist Church in Iowa City. He was a member of First United Methodist Church, United Methodist Men, and Voices of Experience and also was a volunteer at Mercy Hospital. He was a volunteer fireman with the Belmond Fire and Rescue, and also, while living in West Liberty, he volunteered with the ambulance service.

He has taken care of many lives in the Lord’s service and will be greatly missed by his family and friends.

Dick’s family includes his wife, Linda Watkins of Iowa City, daughters, Susan Dirks and her husband, Tim of Marion, and Katherine Anderson and her husband, Roger of Fairfield; son, Lewis Watkins of Iowa City, stepsons, Terry Peters and his wife, Judy of Tampa, Florida, Timothy Peters and his wife, Julie of Seattle, Washington, Troy Peters of Tipton; stepdaughter, Tammy Negrete and her husband, Robert of Washington, Iowa, four grandchildren, Benjamin Passmore, Heather Dirks, Spencer Dirks and Angela Watkins, and his eight step grandchildren, Eliece Peters, Jesse Peters, Carly Peters, Cody Negrete, Adam Negrete, Christian Peters, Casey Negrete and Anthony Peters, two brothers John Watkins and his wife, Fern of Minot, North Dakota and James Watkins and his wife, Betty of Sioux City, Iowa.

He was preceded in death by his parents and wife, Marilyn Joy Watkins.