Vernon Edward “Vern” Duke (1932-2009)

DUKE, COULTER, EARLE, NORDSIECK, SIMPSON, SEWARD

Posted By: Ames Tribune
Date: 3/11/2009 at 19:22:30

THE AMES TRIBUNE, Ames, Story County, Iowa, Wednesday, March 11, 2009.

Vernon Edward “Vern” Duke, 76, of Ames, died Monday, March 9, 2009, at Shirkey Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Richmond, Mo. A gathering of friends and family will be from 6 to 8 p.m. Friday, March 20, at Grandon Funeral and Cremation Care, 414 Lincoln Way, in Ames, with a celebration of life service at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, March 21, at Ascension Lutheran Church in Ames.

Vern was born Oct. 22, 1932, in Indianapolis, the son of Herbert and Rudell (Coulter) Duke. He graduated from Short Ridge High School and Purdue University with a degree in industrial engineering. He was a U.S. Navy veteran of the Korean Conflict. He married Norma Earle on Aug. 23, 1957. The couple lived in Florence, S.C., and Youngstown, N.Y., before moving to Ames in 1979. He worked at Union Carbide and Iowa Beverage before becoming administrator of Ames Moose Lodge 520, where he retired in December 2008. He was a member at Ascension Lutheran Church, Moose Lodge 520, where he was a Fellow and later a Pilgrim; Moose Legion, Broad Ripple Lodge 643 A.F. and A.M., Indianapolis, and Scottish Rite Valley of Indianapolis.

He is survived by one son, Jim Duke, of Iowa City; one daughter, Cathy, and her husband, Ken Nordsieck, and their children, Josh, Brandon, Emily and Ryan, all of Lexington, Mo.; and one sister, Geraldeen Simpson, of Phoenix.

He was preceded in death by his parents; his wife, Norma; one brother, Donald F. Duke; and one sister, Roselene Seward.

Memorials may be directed to Cathy as part of a donation in Vern’s memory to Ames Moose, where he gave so much of his time making life a little better for others.

Grandon Funeral and Cremation Care is assisting the family.

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