Roger Dirks (1942-2019)

DIRKS, KOBLISKA, DEBERG, GERHOLDT, MCKINNON, DEBERG

Posted By: Mark Christian
Date: 12/21/2019 at 19:02:20

Obituary from Ames Monument & Cremation Center, Ames, Story County, Iowa.

Roger Dirks
December 12, 1942 - December 20, 2019

Roger Dirks, 77, of Ames, Iowa, and formerly of Dike and Grundy Center, passed quietly into eternity on Friday, December 20, 2019, at Israel Family Hospice House in Ames with his wife, Della Kobliska, and his hospice staff present.

Roger was the son of Harold and Thelma (DeBerg) Dirks and graduated from Dike High School in 1960. That same year he enlisted in the Air Force and spent the next four years at Sandia Air Force Base in Albuquerque, NM. He later returned to Iowa, living in Dike and New Hartford, and working at John Deere for the next 17 years. In 1986, he moved to the Tucson-Phoenix area and drove for various bus and charter lines including 17 years for Greyhound Bus Lines. He retired in 2006 and returned to his home town working locally until his cancer diagnosis in 2013. He fought the fight for six years, much to the surprise of his doctors, receiving an unprecedented 139 chemotherapy treatments and having four surgeries.

During his earthly life, Roger was a member of the Lincoln Center Christian Reformed Church, rural Grundy Center; Chelwood Christian Reformed Church in Albuquerque where he served as Sunday School teacher, treasurer, and on church council; later becoming a member of Orchard Hill Church-Lincoln Center.

He is survived by his wife, Della Kobliska of Ames; three children, Ricky of Grundy Center, Steven (Lisa) of Capitan, NM and Kristy of Albuquerque, NM; two sisters, Marilyn (Jim) Gerholdt of Evansdale and JoAnn (Larry) McKinnon of Grundy Center. Also surviving are step-children Rodney (Kelly) Kobliska of Cedar Falls and Rachael (Jon) Kobliska of Ames; four previous step-children whom he loved; Tom, John, Marlene of Tucson and Rexann of Lubbock, TX. He has four grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.

Welcoming Roger into the heavenly home are one son, David (1969); his parents Harold (2000) and Thelma (2019) Dirks; maternal grandparents, Charles and Hattie DeBerg; and paternal grandparents John K. and Grace Dirks.

On March 11, 2017, a Living Celebration was held at the Lincoln Center Church with music and videos of memories and his life. Roger was able to visit with many of his classmates, family and friends. No services are planned.

Ames Monument & Cremation Center has been entrusted with the care of Roger and his family.

https://www.amesmonument.com/
 

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