Duane Vance

September 15, 1927 - April 27, 2021

Duane Vance, 93, of Beacon, passed away Tuesday, April 27, 2021, while out for a morning walk in his neighborhood. Frank “Duane” Vance, son of Huel and Carmella (Muraro) Vance, was born September 15, 1927, at the home of his parents in rural Tracy, Iowa. His family moved to Davenport when Duane was a child, and it was there that he attended school. The family later returned to Mahaska County and settled in Beacon. Duane married Blanche Julia Laud on April 23, 1949, at the Little Brown Church in Nashua, Iowa. They made their home in Beacon, and Duane began working for the Lost Coal Creek Company. When the mine closed, he went to work for Kaiser Corporation. In 1972, Duane and Blanche moved to Oskaloosa. Duane retired from Kaiser in 1989. In 2018, they moved back to Beacon. Duane was a past member of the Beacon United Methodist Church and the Masonic Lodge in Tracy. He especially enjoyed camping, fishing, walking, and tinkering on anything with a motor during his retirement years. His family includes his daughter, Debra (Bob) Parton of Beacon; his son, Steve (Nancy) Vance of Oskaloosa; 12 grandchildren, 37 great-grandchildren and great-great-grandchildren, three step-grandchildren, five step-great-grandchildren, and two step-great-great-grandchildren. He is also survived by a sister-in-law, Pat Vance of Tracy, and a nephew, Roger Vance of Tracy. In addition to his parents, Duane was preceded in death by his wife, Blanche, in 2018; a son, Ronnie Vance, a daughter, Diane Meier; two granddaughters, Brandy and Tonya Vance; a great-granddaughter, Nikkole Taylor; and a brother, Bunk Vance. Graveside Memorial services for Duane will be held at 10:30 a.m., Friday, April 30, 2021, at Old White Cemetery with Rev. Olivia Fabros of the Beacon United Methodist Church officiating. Visitation will begin at 10 a.m. Thursday; the family will greet visitors from 4-6 p.m., Thursday evening. Memorial contributions can be made to the Beacon United Methodist Church. According to the rules put in place by the Iowa Department of Public Health, proper social distancing and appropriate personal protective equipment are advised for attending this public event. The service will be available to view on the Langkamp Funeral Chapel’s YouTube channel Friday afternoon for those unable to attend the ceremony.