David Lee Deedrick

1931 - 2022

David Lee Deedrick

Waukee, Iowa, formerly Cherokee

David Lee Deedrick, 90, of Waukee and formerly of Cherokee passed away on Saturday, Jan. 8, 2022, at Mercy One Johnston Hospice Care.

Services will be held at 1:30 p.m. on Thursday at Boothby Funeral Home in Cherokee. Pastor Mike Agnew will officiate. Military rites by L.A. Wescott Post #2253 of the V.F.W. and the Cherokee American Legion will be performed. Burial will be held at a later date in Oak Hill Cemetery. Visitation will be held from 4 to 7 p.m. today with the family present from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Boothby Funeral Home in Cherokee. There will be a masonic service at 7:00 p.m. Online condolences may be left at www.boothbyfuneral.com. Services will be livestreamed on the Boothby Funeral Home website through the assistance of Fuller Digital Solutions.

David was born on Jan. 15, 1931, in Le Mars, Iowa, to Levi and Jeanette (Druger) Deedrick, the middle of three children. He attended school first in Le Mars, then in Leeds, Iowa, graduating in 1949 from Leeds High School. He graduated from Westmar College in Le Mars with a BA and later earned his Masters from the University of South Dakota in Vermillion, S.D. He enlisted in the United States Navy and attended Officer Training School. He was commissioned in 1953 and served aboard the USS Power DD-839 from 1953-1956. He rose to the rank of Lieutenant Junior Grade.

He was married to Kathleen Mae Hemingway on May 23, 1953, in Winnebago, Minn. Together they had two children, Linda and Lisa. After Kathleen passed away on May 29, 1972, Dave was married to Janice Elaine Hill on July 25, 1975, in Cherokee and adopted her son, Robert Edward.

Dave began his 37 year career in education at Onawa, Iowa, in 1956 as a teacher and coach for two years and then as Elementary Principal. He and his family moved to Cherokee in 1967, where he served as Elementary Principal until his retirement in July 1993.

Dave was very active in the Cherokee community. He was a member of St. Paul's United Methodist Church, United Methodist Men, and helped with Confirmation classes. He served for many years on the Cherokee Public Library Board of Directors as well as being a Lifetime member of the Cherokee County Chapter of Red Cross. He was a 60 year member of the Masonic Lodge, a 48 year member of the Abu Bekr Shrine and in the Cherokee Shrine Club where he was part of the Flying Carpets in many parades. He also served for ten years on the Siouxland Regional Housing Authority.

He was an avid sports fan, especially the New York Yankees. He also loved to cook and was well known for his holiday candy trays and his biscuits and gravy served at the Masonic breakfasts.

He is survived by his wife of 46 years, Janice; daughter Linda (Duane) Christensen of Cherokee; daughter Lisa (Don) Berlin of Superior, Colo.; son Robert of Urbandale, Iowa; five granddaughters, Nancy (Todd) Clark of Denver, Colo., Laura (Jon) Meylor of Papillion, Neb., Lily and Ella Berlin, and Reese Deedrick; five great-grandchildren, McKenzie, Ethan, and Christian Meylor, and Keely and Thomas Clark; sisters-in-law Lorraine Deedrick of Rochester, Minn., Bobbi (Dennis) Meints of Ankeny, Iowa, and Mary Jackson of Chaska, Minn.

David was preceded in death by his father, Levi; his mother, Jeannette; his first wife, Kathleen; his sister and brother-in-law, Estelle and Duane Musselman; and his brother, Tom Deedrick.