Wilmer De Roo

Rock Rapids, IA Wilmer De Roo age 79 of Rock Rapids, IA died Sunday July 3rd, 2011 at the Lyon Manor Nursing and Rehab Center in Rock Rapids, IA. Funeral services will be 10:30 a.m. Thursday, July 7th at First Reformed Church in Rock Rapids with Rev. Dan Haggar, officiating. Burial will follow in the Riverview Cemetery at Rock Rapids, IA. Visitation will be Wednesday July 6th from 4:00 " 8:00 p.m. with the family present from 6:00 " 8:00 p.m. at the First Reformed Church in Rock Rapids. Wilmer DeRoo was born October 29, 1931, to Henry and Carrie (VandeGriend) DeRoo. The oldest of eight children, Wilmer was born near Hull, Iowa. The family moved to the Hills, MN area when he was in the fourth grade. He grew up working on the family farm and attending school in the Hills and Beaver Creek, MN area. He married Wilma Van Der Weerd March 14, 1952, and was inducted into the United States Army Infantry in August of 1952. After basic training at Fort Riley, Kansas he was shipped to Korea. He served there from March 1953 to May of 1954. He was honorably discharged August 1954. Wilmer worked for Rasmussen Plumbing and Heating in Rock Rapids before becoming co-owner of Air Conditioning and Heating, Inc. In 1970 he began working for Central Natural Gas in Rock Rapids which later became part of the Minnesota Gas Company. He continued to work for the company servicing customers in Luverne and Pipestone for 23 years. After retiring in 1993, Wilmer began working for Lewis Family Drug delivering prescriptions to area nursing homes two to three times a week. Wilmer also served as groundskeeper for the Lyon County Fairgrounds, a job he truly loved. His greatest joy was helping FFA and 4-H youth get ready for the fair. He continued these retirement jobs until his health began failing. Wilmer is survived by his wife, Wilma of 59 years; two sons, Stan and wife Brenda of Cherokee, IA, Steve and wife Jane of Sioux Falls; and one daughter, Marlys and husband Scott Lawrence of Sioux Falls; six grandchildren and one great grandchild. Wilmer is also survived by three brothers; Lloyd (Dorothy) of Brooten, MN, Marvin of Oostburg, WI, Allan of Worthington, MN and four sisters; Joan DeJongh of Luverne, MN, Sharon Melin of Willmar, MN, Carmen (Don) Van Zee of Sunburg, MN, and Connie (Herman) TeBrake of Brooten, MN; one brother in law, Henry (Dorothy) VanDer Weerd of Rock Rapids, four sister in laws; Jeanette (Bernie) Top of Luverne, Henrietta (John) Timmer of Sioux Falls, Edna (Willis) Jongerius of Rock Rapids, and Mae (Dr. Jerry) Tinklenberg of Palo Alto, CA. Wilmer was preceded in death by his parents, two brothers-in-law and one sister-in-law.