Lowell Eugene Kilmer was born Mar. 30, 1927 to William Lee and Florence Ruth Kilmer. He died Dec. 20, 2016.
Sgt. Kilmer served with the U.S. Marine Corps on Guam and in China.
His Obituary:
Lowell Kilmer, 89, Stanhope
Lowell Eugene Kilmer passed away on December 20, 2016 following a long battle with cancer. Visitation will be held Wednesday, December 28 from 6:00 – 8:00 pm and funeral services will be held on Thursday, December 29 at 10:30 a.m. at the Stanhope Parish, 495 Grace Street, Stanhope, Iowa.
Lowell was born March 30, 1927 in Farnhamville, Iowa to William Lee and Florence Ruth Kilmer.
In March 1945, at the age of seventeen, Lowell enlisted in the Marine Corps. He served on Guam and in China, preparing for what everyone believed would be the inevitable occupation of Japan. Lowell received his Honorable Discharge on March 20, 1949 and left the Marine Corps as a sergeant. He was thrilled to be on one of the last Iowa Honor Flights to Washington D.C. in October 2009.
Lowell married Doris Munsinger in Stanhope, Iowa on December 9, 1951. After receiving a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Drake University on August 27, 1954, Lowell took a job with Swift Premium. While working for Swift Premium, he and Doris lived in Chicago and St. Louis. In March 1958, they returned to Stanhope, where Doris was born, and lived there for 58 years. Lowell worked in the construction industry and in 1963, built a home in Stanhope where he and Doris raised their family. Lowell worked for Iowa PreCast Concrete and retired in 1984.
Due to how he lived his life, Lowell leaves family and many friends who were touched by his kindness and sense of humor. His family recalls the industry, imagination, talent and enthusiasm for getting things done, learning new skills and applying them in such artistic ways. He was a member of the Masons for over 50 years. He was interested in genealogy, spending many hours searching the history of the Kilmer side of the family. His true passion was painting, especially rosemaling, a traditional Norwegian form of decorative folk art painting and woodworking. For many years, he was a member of the Ames Woodworkers Club. In 1999, he was honored to have one of his Christmas ornaments selected to hang on the Governor’s tree at the state capitol. He created furniture, wooden clocks, toys, Christmas decorations to display and sell, but his true joy was making pieces to give to family, friends and his church.
Lowell is survived by Doris, his wife of 65 years, son Jim (Dee) Kilmer of Ames, daughter Cheryl (Brett) Mendenhall of Des Moines, son Brian (Janet) Kilmer of Ames, daughter-in-law Lisa Kilmer, son-in-law Damon Ott, his beloved grandchildren Andy and Aly Ott, Jennifer and Steve Zweibel, Kevin Ott, Brooke Mogensen, Lisa Kilmer, Hannah and Joel Reeves, Addison Kilmer, Bailey Kilmer and two great-grandchildren, Winifred Zweibel and Kayser Kilmer. He is preceded in death by his parents, his sisters Helen Jorgensen, Lois Kail and Etta Mae Peterson and two of his children, Bill Kilmer and Janice Ott.
Memorial contributions may be made in Lowell’s name to the Stanhope Parish Building Fund.
Source: Daily Freeman Journal, Webster City, IA - Dec. 23, 2016
