Emmett Dreeszen (1912-2013)

DREESZEN, BRUENE, ROYER, GOETTSCH, VOLKERT

Posted By: Mark Christian
Date: 7/4/2013 at 12:49:38

From Adams & Soderstrum Funeral Home obituary, Story County, Iowa:

Emmett Dreeszen
November 10, 1912 - March 13, 2013

Emmett Dreeszen 100, of Ames passed away March 13, at Northcrest Health Care Center in Ames. Emmett was born on November 10, 1912, on a farm near Pierson, Iowa. His parents were Rudolph J. and Louise (Bruene) Dreeszen. His given name was Woodrow Emmett, but he was known as Emmett through his lifetime, as his parents feared he would be known as “Woody”.

Emmett was christened at Rock Branch, a rural church near Pierson. When he was three years old, the family moved to a farm near Correctionville, Iowa, where he entered country school. When he was six the family moved to a farm near Cushing, Iowa, where Emmett finished country school and graduated from Cushing High School in 1928 at the age of fifteen.

Emmett attended Wartburg College for three years, and then graduated from what was then Iowa State College in Ames in 1932. He taught country school for two years in Ida County, Iowa; from 1935-1937, he was a high school principal and athletic coach at Grand Meadow High School in Cherokee County, and high school principal and coach at Early, Iowa, from 1937-1942.

It was while teaching at Early that he married Lois Royer of Kingsley, Iowa. Here two sons, Lynn A. and Steven K., were born. In 1942 the family moved to Des Moines. Emmett taught science at Callanan Jr. High School until 1944 when he accepted a commission as an officer in the U.S. Navy. He was assigned to the Manhattan Project at Oak Ridge, TN. While living in Oak Ridge a daughter, Dee A., was born in 1948.

In 1948 Emmett accepted a position as Information Manager in the Ames Laboratory at Iowa State College. He held this position until his retirement in 1978. In 1956 a third son, Bryce W., was born.

From 1994 until his death he and Lois lived at the Northcrest Retirement Community in Ames.

He had a lifelong interest in sports, as both a participant and spectator. He was an avid bowler and golfed into his 90’s. In 2002 he and Lois were recognized for having been season ticket holders for football and basketball at Iowa State for fifty-four years.

He was a sixty year member of the Ames Lions Club and received the Monarch Award from Lions Clubs International. He served for a number of years in the Broken Arrow Council of the Boy Scouts of America and received the Silver Beaver Award.
He participated in the work of his church, the Collegiate United Methodist Church and Wesley Foundation, as a Sunday School teacher and participant on various committees.

Emmett will be remembered by his family for his unfailing generosity, positive attitude, and his “Mr. Fix-it” abilities. He and Lois enjoyed playing cards and travel, having visited many places in the world as members of the Friendship Force.

Emmett is survived by his sons, Steve (Donna) of Revere, MA and Bryce (Paula) of Interlochen, MI; daughter, Dee, of Ames and daughter-in-law, Jane, of Scotts Valley, CA; eleven grandchildren and step-grandchildren; eleven great-grandchildren; and his sister, Velma Goettsch, of Holstein, Iowa.
He was preceded in death by his parents; his wife, Lois in 2011; son, Lynn; daughter, Shelley Jane, who died in infancy; brothers, Wesley and Elvie; and sister, Ina Volkert.

A memorial service will be held at 10:00 a.m., April 6, at Northcrest Community.

Memorial contributions should be directed to the G.S. Nichols Scholarship Fund, c/o Collegiate United Methodist Church, 2622 Lincoln Way, Ames, Iowa, 50014.

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