DeWild, John - 1917-2004

DEWILD, BRUNSTING, KOSTERS

Posted By: Linda Vander Linden-Volunteer (email)
Date: 2/21/2012 at 16:14:33

Northwest Iowa Review, May 22, 2004

Rock Rapids - John Arthur De Wild, 86, Rock Rapids, died Tuesday evening, May 18, at Lyon Manor Nursing & Rehabilitation Center in Rock Rapids.

Services were Friday, May 21, at the First Reformed Church in Rock Rapids with the Revs. Dan Haggar and Katie Van Veldhuisen officiating. Burial was at Riverview Cemetery in Rock Rapids, under the direction of Roste Funeral Home in Rock Rapids.

John De Wild, son of Conrad & Winnie (Brunsting) De Wild, was born Dec. 31, 1917 in Hospers.

He was raised in the Hull area and graduated from Hull High School in 1934 at the age of 16. He attended Northwestern College in Orange City and Iowa State University in Ames.

He started his first job in 1938 with Brown Engineering in Des Moines, bringing electrical service to many rural areas of the state.

He married Fannetta Kosters on Feb. 7, 1939 in Hull. He began working for Lyon County Rural Electric Cooperative in 1940. While teaching sailors electrical skills, he completed his master's degree in electrical engineering at Iowa State University.

They moved in 1946 to Storm Lake, where he worked for Iowa Public Service. They moved in 1948 to Rock Rapids, where he became superintendent of utilities for the city of Rock Rapids. He started De Wild & Grant Company in 1952, which grew into De Wild, Grant, Reckert & Associates, which he headed until 1970. He went to work for Northwestern College as associate director of development in 1973 and retired from this in 1984. Following that, he never really retired, but worked part-time jobs at various places.

He moved into Premier Estates in Rock Rapids in 2000 until entering Lyon Manor Nursing & Rehabilitation Center in Rock Rapids in 2002.

During his career as an engineer he was elected president of the Consulting Engineers Council in 1958, served as director of Rock Rapids State Bank, served as president of Kiwanis, and was named the lieutenant governor of Iowa for Kiwanis in 1963.

As a member of First Reformed Church in Rock Rapids he was active in the choir, in the consistory and as a Sunday School teacher. In spite of his professional accomplishments, his family remembers him for the loving person that he was. He was passionate about church and reconciliation between people.

Survivors include his wife, Fannetta De Wild of Rock Rapids; three children, Sharon & Fred Tilstra of Steen, MN; Dale & Kris De Wild of Pella, and Brenda & Mark Van Roekel of Orange City; six grandchildren; eight great-grandchildren; and a sister, Ruby Vander Lee of Rock Rapids.

He was preceded in death by a brother, Henry De Wild; and a sister, Angeline Aardsma.

Memorials may be directed to Northwestern College in Orange City.