Glen "Goose" DeGeest 1924~2006

DEGEEST, COLEMAN, BRUBAKER

Posted By: Gennie (email)
Date: 7/10/2007 at 18:29:07

Glen DeGeest, 81, Oskaloosa
Ottumwa Courier

OSKALOOSA — Glen “Goose” DeGeest, age 81, of Oskaloosa passed away Tuesday, March 28, 2006, at University of Iowa Hospital in Iowa City.

Funeral Services will be held at 10:00 a.m., Saturday Morning, April 1 at Garland-Van Arkel-Langkamp Funeral Chapel with Rev. Forrest Durham of the Tracy United Methodist Church officiating. Burial will be in Bellefountaine Cemetery near Tracy with military honors by the Harry L. Anderson Post #34 of the American Legion and the V.F.W. Post #2237.

Visitation will held from 2-8 p.m. Thursday at Garland-Van Arkel-Langkamp Funeral Chapel and will resume at 12 noon on Friday; the family will be present from 6-8 p.m. Friday evening to greet visitors.

Memorials may be made to Tracy United Methodist Church or the Keomah Genealogical Society.

Glen Leverne DeGeest, son of Stephen Stanton and Edna Ruth Coleman DeGeest, was born October 16, 1924 near Leighton, Iowa.

Glen was raised in Tracy where he attended school, graduating in 1941. After turning 18, he enlisted in the U.S. Navy, serving as an aircraft mechanic during W.W.II in the Philippines. While home on leave, he married Myra Jean Brubaker on Feb. 20, 1945 in Lancaster, MO. Following his discharge, Glen and Jean made their home in Oskaloosa, where Glen worked as a lineman apprentice for a construction crew. In 1953 he went to work for Iowa Power and Light as a lineman. He worked there 32 years, retiring in 1985 as a combination (gas and electric) service man. Owning a farm by age 40 was one of Glen's goals, and at age 39 the family moved to the farm west of Oskaloosa. On October 11, 1999 Jean passed away and on October 19, 2002 he married Carol Clark Harsin in Tracy. Jean’s death was a difficult time for Glen and his family; finding Carol to enjoy the last four years of his life was a true blessing. Glen was a member of the Tracy United Methodist Church and the Oskaloosa Coin Club; he was a lifetime member of I.B.E.W., a past Boy Scout Leader, a volunteer for the Iowa Democratic Party and a volunteer driver for the D.A.V. van. Glen was known as “a friend in a time of need.” Glen was a voracious reader and also loved to play scrabble, card games and solve crossword puzzles.

Glen’s family includes his wife, Carol DeGeest of Oskaloosa; a daughter, Cherol Diane (Daryl) Brown of Oskaloosa; and three sons, Glen Mark (Joyce) DeGeest of Oskaloosa; Randy Scott (Elaine Beck) DeGeest of Oskaloosa and Leo Greg (Linda) DeGeest of Taos, NM; and two step daughters, Shari Veldhuizen and Judy Sinclair. He was blessed with nine grandchildren, Dawn Janos, Mischele Sheehan, Teri DeGeest, April DeGeest, Trisha DeGeest, David DeGeest, Daniel DeGeest, Hannah DeGeest and Jonathan DeGeest; and four great-grandchildren; five step grandchildren, Amary Mineart, Andrew Veldhuizen, Adam Veldhuizen, Nichole Barton and Tyler Johnson and two step great-grandchildren. He is survived by three brothers, Paul DeGeest of Des Moines, Duane (Margaret) DeGeest of Tracy and Larry DeGeest of Attica, IA.

Besides his parents and his first wife, Jean; he was preceded in death by two great-granddaughters, Daisha DeGeest and Chenoa DeGeest; and one sister in infancy, Joyce DeGeest.