Rod Dunlap

DUNLAP, APPLEGATE, MERTKA, VERRY, RUGGER, CAVE, FRELUND, ECKRICH, STEMM, STARR, EVANS

Posted By: Tara (email)
Date: 5/24/2010 at 13:41:21

Rod Dunlap, 74, of South Amana died peacefully surrounded by his family on Saturday, May 22, 2010 at sunrise.
Rod was born February 2, 1936 in Maquoketa, IA, the son of Gail and Bertha Applegate Dunlap. On August 10, 1955 Rod married Charlotte Mertka at the Little Brown Church in Nashua.
Rod served as a paratrooper in the United States Army from 1953-56. He had worked as a railroad brakeman, a tree trimmer and logger. Rod had been the superintendent of Public Works and the Deputy Director of the Linn County Conservation Board. In 1970, he moved his family to Oxford, IA where he began his career as the first Director of the Johnson County Conservation Board, retiring in 2001. He devoted 31 years in the development and application of the true meaning of nature. He instilled the same love of nature in the lives of his family and all those that knew him.
Rod spent his retirement years enjoying his family, and spending time in his workshop where he created and built beautiful pieces. Fishing, hunting, traveling, chopping his own firewood and more fishing were joys of retirement.
Rod was a self-educated man. He learned how nature works and taught others how to work with nature. Rod placed his heart and soul in his work with his vision, ambition, determination and dedication.
Our father didn’t tell us how to live, “HE LIVED” and let us watch him do it. He will be greatly missed by his wife and family.
Rod is survived by his wife, Charlotte; three daughters, Brenda (Jeff) Verry of Clear Lake,IA, Sue (Rich) Rugger of Oxford and Kathy Dunlap and fiancé, Murray Cave of Tiffin; one son, Gail (Cyndi) Dunlap of Swisher; eight grandchildren, John Verry, Chelsie (Tom) Frelund, Kelly Rugger, Brooke Rugger, Michael Rugger, Tyler Dunlap, Mitchel Dunlap and Chad Eckrich; two great grandchildren Logan and Cullen Frelund; one brother, Bud (Elsie) Dunlap of Florida; three sisters, Ardella (Alvin) Stemm of Lone Tree, Lynette (Larry) Starr and Mary Jane (Bruce) Evans, both of Ohio.
He was preceded in death by his parents and two brothers, Larry and Don.