Ronald M DeForrest

DEFORREST JACKSON SPENCER

Posted By: Connie Swearingen (email)
Date: 4/11/2010 at 21:09:55

Sioux City Journal
22 January 2003

Ronald M. De Forrest, 60, of Sioux City died Monday, Jan. 20, 2003, at a Sioux City hospital.

Services will be 10:30 a.m. Friday at St. Mark Lutheran Church, with the Rev. John Hagberg officiating. Burial will be in Memorial Park Cemetery, Mimosa Section. Visitation will be 2 to 8:30 p.m. today, with the family present 6:30 to 8 p.m., at Christy-Smith Morningside Chapel.

Mr. De Forrest was born Feb. 16, 1942, in Tacoma, Wash., the son of James E. and Ova A. (Jackson) De Forrest. He moved with his family to Aberdeen, S.D., when he was five months old and was raised in that area.

He married Deanna F. Spencer on March 16, 1961, in Aberdeen. He lived in Sioux Falls, S.D., for a few years prior to moving to Sioux City in 1966, and had lived here since. He was an asbestos coverer many years in the asbestos union. He then founded De Forrest Insulation Co., which is still run today by his son. In 1983, he bought the East End Mini Max and continued to own and operate the East End until his death.

He was a member of Local 57 Asbestos Union Workers, Landmark Masonic Lodge 103 A.F. & A.M., Abu Bekr Shrine and St. Mark Lutheran Church. He loved to build things and worked on cars. He was good at working with his hands.

Survivors include his wife, Deanna F. De Forrest of Sioux City; his mother, Velma Ochs of Sioux Falls, S.D.; a son and his wife, Troy and Debra De Forrest of Sioux City; a daughter and her husband, Jami and Brent Johnsen of Sioux City; two brothers, Merle De Forrest of Aberdeen, S.D., and Jim De Forrest and his wife, Rose, of Cape Coral, Fla.; three sisters, Arlene Gawley of Puyallup, Wash., Evelyn and her husband, Milton Hoffman, of Aberdeen and Beverly Lucas of Roland Heights, Calif.; five grandchildren, Jarred, Sara and Taran De Forrest, Brooke and Blake Johnsen; and two stepgrandchildren, Taelor Johnsen and Lindsey Herbold.

He was preceded in death by his parents; a son, Todd De Forrest; and two brothers, Delmar and Glen De Forrest.