Dean Joseph Schwartz

DOZZI, KEYSER, MCCRABB, MESSENGER, MORRIS, ROBERTSON, RUGG, TONNESEN, TURNIPSEED, SCHWARTZ, WETRICH

Posted By: Gayle Van Dyke (email)
Date: 12/14/2013 at 17:12:00

Dean Joseph Schwartz, 89, of Waco, died peacefully in his sleep Tuesday, May 31, 2011. A memorial service will be 1 p.m. Saturday, June 4, at Central Presbyterian Church, 9191 Woodway Drive, in Waco. Interment will be at a later date in Wassonville Cemetery, Washington County, Iowa.

Dean was born on July 8, 1921 near Wellman, Iowa, to the late Frank and Ida A. (Wetrich) Schwartz. He graduated from Wellman High School and was united in marriage to Bettye Ilene Turnipseed, daughter of Homer R. and LaVera Ada (Messenger) Turnipseed, on Aug. 9, 1941, in Anamosa, Iowa.

They farmed for several years before moving into Wellman in 1952, where Dean opened a Sinclair gas station. Dean and Bettye helped organize the first Cub Scout and Boy Scout troops in Wellman and the first Red Cross swimming and lifesaving lessons in the area. He was a member of the organizing board of the Wellman Coop Telephone Association and active in the Masonic Lodge there.

In the late 50s, Dean sold the gas station and took a job in the Iowa turkey industry, which resulted in a move to Waco, Texas, in 1969 to work for Plantation Foods. He was production manager over eight farms and lived near Gatesville.

After retiring, Dean and Bettye moved to Waco where he continued his lifelong interest in gardening and became active in the Central Presbyterian Church and Harrison Senior Center.

He was preceded in death by his sisters, Erma Rugg, Sylvia McCrabb and Mildred Dozzi.

Dean is survived by his wife, Bettye, of Waco; daughters, Ronna Robertson and husband, Don, of Manhattan, Kan., and Susan Keyser and husband, Joe, of Buena Vista, Colo.; sons, Joel Schwartz of Gatesville, and Jeff Schwartz and wife, Diane, of Joshua; five grandchildren; nine great-grandchildren; nieces, Diane Tonnesen and Denise Morris; and nephew, Fred Schwarz.

Obituary appeared in the Waco Tribune-Herald, June 1 and 2, 2011, page N7

Interment in Wassonville Cemetery, summer 2013