Alvin Meester

Alvin James Meester, 82, of Dike, IA, passed away February 2, 2018 at the Grundy Center Memorial Hospital. A visitation will be held Wednesday, February 7, 2018 from 4-7 PM at Engelkes-Ables Dike Chapel in Dike, IA. A funeral service will be held Thursday, February 8, 2018 at 10:30 AM at the Pleasant Valley Reformed Church in rural Holland, IA with Pastor Rick Vollema officiating. Visitation will resume from the evening prior at 9AM. An internment service will follow at the Pleasant Valley Cemetery. Engelkes-Abels Dike Chapel is caring for Alvin and his family. Online condolences may be made at www.abelsfuneralhomes.com Memorials may be directed to the family to be donated to a charity of their choosing at a later date.

Alvin James Meester was born on December 29, 1935 in Grundy County to his parents Henry and Tena (DeVries) Meester. Al was a 1954 graduate of Dike High School.  He worked for the Dike Feed store for eight years before training to be a technician for Eastern Iowa Breeders Association. As a technician, he traveled all over Iowa before settling in Hardin County. On February 12, 1960 Al was married to Shirley Kruse at the Steamboat Rock Baptist Church. They made their first home at Pine Lake, Eldora for seven years and then moved to the farm south of Dike, where they raised their four children.

In 1965 he became a farmer south of Dike. He retired from farming after twenty five years and moved to Dike where he worked for the Town of Dike and for Thoroughbred Seeds.  Al was a fix it man, he could fix almost anything.  He served six years in the National Guard and was a forty year charter member of the Dike Lions Club. Al was a lifetime, faithful, member of Pleasant Valley Reformed Church where he served on the consistory as both deacon and elder.

Al had a keen memory, when friends and relatives wondered about a date that something happened they said, ask Uncle Al, he can tell us. More times than not, he would know. His sense of dry humor and favorite expressions will long be remembered.

Al experienced his first heart attack in 1990 which resulted in a five bypass surgery. He also beat colon, prostate and kidney cancers.

His joy was his family, traveling to visit his children and grandchildren in Texas, Colorado, Utah, North Carolina and Alaska.

Al is survived by his wife of 58 years Shirley, three sons, Troy (Terri) of Colorado Springs, CO., Alex of Athens, AL., Eric (Tina) of Wasilla, AK. and one daughter Dawn (Kevin) Zandberg of Salt Lake City, UT. He also had nine grandchildren, Tiffany (Matthew) Huston of Fort Collins, CO., Taylor (Sebastian) Koeckeis  Jersey City, NJ., Adam, Tom, and Philip Meester of Austin, TX., Morgan and Joshua Zandberg, Salt Lake City, UT., Qwendolyn Meester of Cornelius, NC., and Toren Tischer, Wasilla, AK. Al also has a sister Rosie Aalderks of Parkersburg and sister-in- laws Barb (Marvin) Meester of Dike, Irene Espe (Arnold) of Cedar Rapids, LaVonne (Tom) Kruse of Dallas, TX., Eileen (Ernest) Kruse of Ackley, Ruth (Darrell) Bleeker of Steamboat Rock, and Beulah (Arnold) Kruse of James Town, ND. Al was the last uncle of twenty eight nieces and nephews who he loved.

Preceding Al in death were his parents Henry K. and Tena Meester, two brothers Marvin and Gaylen Meester, brother in laws, Ernest, Tom, and Arnold Kruse, Arnold Espe, Darrell Bleeker and Marvin Aalderks.