Lowell Summa

Larchwood, IA Lowell Summa, age 86, of Larchwood, IA, died Sunday, April 5, 2009 at Dougherty Hospice House in Sioux Falls, SD. Mass of Christian Burial will be 10:30 AM, Wednesday, April 8th at The Church of St. Mary in Larchwood, IA, with Father Jeff Schleisman officiating. Burial will follow at Larchwood Cemetery. Visitation will be Tuesday, April 7th from 2:00 to 8:00 PM, with the family present from 6:00 to 8:00PM at The Church of St. Mary in Larchwood. There will also be a 7:00 PM Vigil service at the church Tuesday night. In lieu of flowers, memorial may be directed to: The Church of St. Marys, Dougherty Hospice House in Sioux Falls, SD or the Larchwood Emergency Medical Services (LEMS). Lowell Woodson Summa, son of Woodson Guy and Maggie (Thompson) Summa, was born July 6, 1922 in Newell, IA. Six months later the family moved to George, Iowa where Lowell grew up and graduated from high school in 1940. Lowell was drafted into World War II on November 24, 1942. There he was trained as an Aircraft Warning Plotter with signal corps at Camp Crowder, Missouri. He spent six months on the island of Oahu. He was then sent to Saipan in the Marianas in the combat radar operations and later to Iwo Jima. He was discharged January 1, 1946. Upon his return, Lowell was employed by the Illinois Central Railroad as a Railroad Telegrapher. Later Lowell worked for the Chicago and Northwestern Railroad, stationed at Estelline, Bruce, Salem, Beresford, Raymond and Luverne, for a considerable length of time, along with many other stations. He retired from the railroad in 1982. Lowell and Katharine Reinke were united in marriage at St. Marys Catholic Church in Larchwood, IA on June 24, 1950. Into this union, two sons and one daughter were born. Lowell loved his family dearly along with his hobbies of fishing, trapping, making fishing lures, tying flies, golfing, playing cards, and burning music CDs and movie DVDs. He also enjoyed his big screen T.V. as well as his computer. Although his health limited him in his later years, he never lost his sense of humor and ability to laugh. This past Sunday morning, April 5, 2009, Lowell died at the Dougherty Hospice House in Sioux Falls, SD at the age of eighty-six. Survivors include his wife, Katharine; their children, Dale (Amy) Summa of Huntington, TX; Lonna (John) Stites of Ankeny, IA; and Gerry (Ann) Summa of Sioux Falls, SD; grandchildren, Amy (Travis) Gifford, of Ankeny, IA; Troy Stites of San Diego, CA; Russell Summa of Huntington, TX; James (Elizabeth) Willers of Sioux Falls, SD; and Leigh Willers of Sioux Falls, SD; great-granddaughter, Ava Gifford; sister, Edith (James) Heppner of New Market, MD, two sisters-in-law, Gertrude Summa and Harriett Summa. He was preceded in death by his parents, and his brothers, George and Ivan.