Irvin M. Bethune

BETHUNE, GROESBECK, ENLOE, HASS, MEANS, MCDOWELL

Posted By: Ruth McDowell (email)
Date: 11/28/2010 at 15:46:13

Powers Funeral Home Webpage:

Irvin M. Bethune, 70 of Afton, died Monday July 2, 2007 at Iowa Methodist Medical Center in Des Moines. Memorial services will be 2 pm Tuesday July 10, 2007 at the Powers Funeral Home in Afton. Pastor Dwayne Henrichs will officiate. Burial will be at the Groesbeck-Ashland Cemetery of rural Lorimor. Open visitation will be held 2-8:00 Friday, and 10 to 4:00 pm Saturday at the Powers Funeral Home in Afton, with family receiving friends Tuesday from 12:30 to the 2 pm service time Tuesday. Memorials are to be established. Online condolences may be made under the obituary category at www.powersfh.com.

Irvin Bethune was born September 4, 1936 at his grandparent's home, in rural Lorimor to Ada Lenore (Groesbeck) and Davis Marion Bethune. He graduated from Afton High School in 1955. After graduation Irvin worked for several years with Forrest Austin at the salvage yard and then with a telephone company. He served in the U.S. Army for two years. After his discharge, Irvin worked as a telephone lineman. He worked with the Afton Telephone Co. and Interstate 35 Telephone Company until 1978. He moved to LaCenter, Washington where he worked for GTE briefly, and then with the Lewis River Telephone Co. He retired in 1998, and moved back to Afton. Irvin did racing in Eddyville, in Washington. He was involved in both drag racing and stock car racing. He helped Gary Nissen in racing locally. He was a member of the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing and the National Hot Rod Association.

Irvin is survived by two uncles: Kenneth Bethune of Camas, WA and John Bethune of North Plaines, OR; two aunts: Margie Enloe of Indianapolis, IN and Sarah Hass of Mechanicsville, PA; 27 cousins which include: Dan (wife Dee) Groesbeck of Lorimor; George Groesbeck of Lorimor; Esther (husband Lon) Means of Creston; Ruth McDowell of Lorimor; close friends Gary (wife Judy) Nissen of Afton.

He was preceded in death by his parents; one brother David Bethune and 5 uncles: Clifford, Jim and Harold Bethune; George G. Groesbeck and Kayo Hass.