David L. Steele

David L. Steele: Dave passed away early Saturday morning at Mahaska Hospital at the age of 90 years and 14 days. Dave's memory in honored by his wife, Betty of Oskaloosa; his son, David of Barrington, Illinois; a brother, George (Connie) Steele, sisters: Maxine Strunk and LaOra (Ken) Miles, all of Florida; a sister, Elnora Norris of Fremont, IA. A brother-in-law, Harold Knowler survives him as well as 5 nieces and 7 nephews and their families. David Loraine Steele, son of Alva and Lucy Steele, was born on November 25, 1916 at Farson, Iowa. He graduated from Fremont high School in 1934, attended the American Institute of Business in Des Moines, Iowa and worked with his dad on the farm. In 1941, he went to work as an armament synchronizer for Bell Aircraft Corporation in Buffalo, New York, subsequently transferring to Niagara Falls, watching on Dec. 7, 1941 as an anti-aircraft armament was installed on the roof of the factory and the Honeymoon Bridge. On January 17, 1942, he and Betty L. Utterback were married in Niagara Falls, New York. They are the parents of one son, David Leroy Steele of Barrington, Illinois. Returning to Iowa in the fall of 1942 to enlist in the air force, he was rejected due to a severe asthma condition and later classified 4A when called in the draft. The couple lived for a brief time in Fremont, later purchasing a retail establishment in What Cheer, Iowa. While in What Cheer he was a member of the school board. In 1950 after selling the What Cheer store, he joined Thriftway grocery as a manager of stores in Centerville, and Creston. In 1952 the family moved to Des Moines and Dave joined Super Value stores in Des Moines, West Des Moines, Urbandale and Storm Lake, Iowa. After selling the stores in 1963 he worked for a brief time for Hockenberg Food Brokerage, and then joined Central Realty of Des Moines as a broker/salesman, retiring in 1988. Betty and Dave move to Oskaloosa in 1996. The Steele's spent their retirement years wintering in Florida and Arizona, traveling in Europe, Great Britain, Hawaii, Alaska, Mexico, Canada, and the mainland. Dave enjoyed golf, gardening, working on his acreage, occasional trips to casinos, and was proficient in the use of carpenter tools. He was a Lawrence Welk fan and also enjoyed Guy Lombardo music. Dave was a 50 year member of the Masonic Lodge, a member of the Elks Club, the National Association of Realtors, and the Baptist Church of Fremont. He was on the board of his homeowners association at Fountain of the Sun in Mesa, Arizona. He was preceded in death by his parents, a brother, LaVerne Steele; sisters: Mary Ellen Steele and LaRue Knowler. PDF Printable Version

David L. Steele

November 25, 1916 - December 9, 2006