Gerrell Defrates
d. January 1, 2004
Gerrell L. DeFrates, 76, a resident of Bettendorf, Iowa died Tuesday, February 17, 2004 at his home.
Funeral services will be held at 10:00 A.M. Friday, February 20, 2004 at Our Savior Lutheran Church, 3775 Middle Rd., Bettendorf, Iowa. Burial will be in the Rock Island National Cemetery where military honors will be conducted. Visitation will be from 5:00 P.M. to 7:00 P.M. Thursday at McGinnis-Chambers Funeral Home, Bettendorf. Memorials may be made to Living Lands & Waters, (a local Mississippi River clean-up organization) or to the Disabled American Veterans.
Gerrell was born July 26, 1949 in Winona, Minnesota, the son of Herbert & Leona (Lavine) DeFrates. He graduated from the Dallas City (IL) High School where he was valedictorian of his class. Following high school, he enlisted in the U.S. Navy and served with the Navy Seebees in Guam. After World War II, he was honorably discharged on July 29, 1946.
On June 26, 1949, he was united in marriage to Florence E. Perry in Ft. Madison, Iowa. While they resided in Ft. Madison, Jerry worked for the Santa Fe Railroad for 10 years. Later, they moved to the Quad-Cities where Jerry became a carpenter by trade. He was employed by Peterson-Roberts Construction and later for Priester Construction of Davenport where he advanced to the position of job superintendent. He retired in 1990 after many years of faithful service.
He was a life-member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 9128 of Bettendorf and a life-member of the American Legion Post 569 of Milan, Illinois.
In his spare time, he loved to cook and go fishing and in earlier years, enjoyed hunting. He was an avid fan of the Iowa Hawkeyes football & basketball teams and had a deep and abiding love for the Mississippi River.
Those left to honor his memory include his beloved wife, Flo; his son & daughter-in-law, Jerry & Nan DeFrates of Bettendorf; his grandchildren, Nichol Lowder & her husband, Robert of Bettendorf, Amber DeFrates of Davenport and Douglas DeFrates of Bettendorf; his great-grandchildren, Jordan, Kaitlyn, Adrianna, Robby IV and Mekhia; and his brother & sister-in-law, Charles & Joanne DeFrates of Farmington, New Mexico.
He was preceded in death by his brother, Herbie; and by his parents.
Condolences may be expressed to the family by visiting Jerry’s obituary at www.McGinnis-Chambers.com.