The Oskaloosa Herald
TRACY —
Duane Lowell De Geest age 80 of Tracy, passed away Saturday Sept. 22, 2012, at the Mahaska Health Partnership Hospice Serenity House in Oskaloosa.
Duane was born on May 5, 1932, at home near Tracy to Stephen Stanton and Edna Ruth (Coleman) De Geest. He graduated from Tracy High School, Class of 1950. After graduation, he worked for a short time before serving in the U.S. Army from December 1952 to December 1954, stationed in California.
On April 16, 1955, in Ottumwa, Duane and Margaret Douglas were united in marriage. Duane and Margaret made their home in Tracy and were blessed with five children: Kathy, Barbara, Lisa, Valerie and Steven Douglas.
Duane worked for 40 years at the V.A. Hospital in Knoxville, retiring in 1996. After his retirement from the hospital he worked for Two Rivers Co-op at the Tracy office, until he became ill in 2011.
Duane is survived by his wife of 57 years Margaret and five children: Kathy (Ron) Beal, of Tracy, Barbara (Mark) Greene, of Knoxville, Lisa Sloan, of Loveland, Colo., Valerie (Jim Lee) De Geest, of Pershing, and Steven Douglas (Amy Moore) De Geest, of Pella; 10 grandchildren: Jennifer (Joe) Clark, of Melcher-Dallas, Corey Beal, of Knoxville, Shawna (Scott McCullough) Greene, of Plano, Ill., Abby (Brad) Heaberlin, of Columbia, Kyle Rowland, of West Des Moines, Jacob (Erika) De Geest, of Attica, Jesse De Geest, of Pella, Erica De Geest, of Grinnell, Madison and Taylor Sloan, of Loveland, Colo.; and 10 great-grandchildren: Sydney and Tanner Fee, Colton, Dylan and Payton Beal, Cole, Emma and Drew Heaberlin, Cooper McCullough and Haley De Geest. Duane is also survived by his brother, Paul De Geest, of Des Moines; his sister-in-law Carol De Geest, of Oskaloosa; and many nieces, nephews and friends.
He was preceded in death by his parents; two brothers, Larry and Glenn De Geest; one sister in infancy Joyce Ann De Geest; and three sister-in-laws, Vivian, Jeane and Sallie De Geest.
Funeral service will be held at 11 a.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 25, at the Winfield Funeral Home of Knoxville with Pastor Kimberly Brown officiating. Burial will follow services at Bellefountaine Cemetery of Tracy.
Visitation for Duane will be held from 2 to 8 p.m. Monday, Sept. 24, at the Winfield Funeral Home with Duane’s family present from 5 to 8 p.m. Monday evening.
A memorial has been established to the Bellefountaine Cemetery Association, Tracy United Methodist Church or the Mahaska Health partnership Hospice Serenity House of Oskaloosa. Condolences may be sent to www.winfieldfh.com.
