- Born on: November 23, 1936
- Departed on: December 17, 2017
- Resided in: Elkader, IA
Edward Coobs
Edward Coobs laid down the working tools of this life, unexpectedly, in the early morning hours of Sunday, December 17, 2017, and, at age 81, affiliated with the Grand Lodge on High.
He was born on an old farm property, which is now the Elkader Golf and Country Club, on November 23, 1936, to William and Gladys (Glawe) Coobs. He subsequently shared his parents with a sister, Shirley (Marmann) and twins, Dorothy (Thompson) and Donald. He was baptized at Peace United Church of Christ (UCC) in Elkader by Rev. Paul Kitterer on March 11, 1937 and confirmed his faith to Rev. Kitterer on April 2, 1950. He was a lifetime active and faithful member of Peace UCC, later serving on the Church Council and several committees, as well as doing electrical, plumbing, and other work for the church.
He attended Denmark, Lamker and again Denmark country schools, as the farm family moved around, then graduated from Central Community High School, with the Class of 1955. He was instrumental in getting the Class of ’55 together for many joyful reunions over the years and was proud that he had attended every single Alumni Banquet from 1956 till they ended in 2009.
On January 26, 1957, he married Doris Rodenberg, and they had four children: Earl (Liwen) Coobs (Billings, MT), Donna (Charles) Strange (North Liberty, IA), Eric (Lori) Coobs (Billings, MT), and Evan (Karen) Coobs (Champaign, IL) before divorcing after 13 years. On October 20, 1973 he married Sandra Lamphier, accepted a stepson, Sean Lamphier, and seven years later, another son, Cory (Tricia) Coobs (North Liberty, IA) was born to them.
Within a week of his high school graduation, he began work for Clayton County Secondary Roads, a job he thoroughly enjoyed during his 43 ½ years of dedicated service. He retired in 1998 as the second longest-tenured employee there, having worked on every single county road and having operated every piece of equipment.
He liked working on the Volga farm, taking pleasure in working with his hands and machines, and fixing most anything that could be fixed. He also used his talents in plumbing, electrical work, and carpentry, both at home and as a reliable handyman for countless others.
He thoroughly enjoyed his 19 years of “retirement,” but had to keep busy. Before a near fatal car accident in October 2015 slowed him down, for five years, he was the maintenance man for RISE Group Homes, Apartments, and Work Center. For 12+ years, he delivered meals for the local Senior Center, for which he received a Governor’s Volunteer Award. He enjoyed the summers, since 1993, when the Coobs Melons ‘n’ More fruit stand operated, visiting with old friends who stopped by, and keeping the lawns mowed.
The Coobs household has, for 40 years, shared space with cats, apparently leading him to believe that he, too, had nine lives! In 2008, he suffered a stroke. In 2009, he unwittingly drank from a bottle of kerosene. (Did you know that kerosene in an unmarked bottle looks exactly like cranberry juice? And when you have a cold, you can’t smell the difference? This is a public service announcement – LABEL any reused containers!!) Between February and April of 2010, he had nine eye surgeries, and keeping still during that recovery time was a real trial for him! Later in 2010, he upended a small tractor from a trailer on top of him at the farm, and then overturned a lawn tractor on the steep side hill behind the melon stand. In 2011, a nearly fatal attack of acute pancreatitis, while on a bus trip equaled eleven days and four surgeries in an out of state hospital. While he was still working, he lost part of a finger, and almost his head, if he hadn’t been VERY quick to move, when a large piece of steel fell from a chain. In 2015, he nearly met his Maker, in a horrible car crash just a few miles from home, resulting in a three and a half month hospitalization / rehabilitation period, which included recovery from a brain hemorrhage. Yet he came back from that, and just this past fall, was again up on ladders, cleaning eaves, painting, etc.
Even in the past two years, when he could no longer drive the Shrine clown van, which he had done for many years, he tried to make as many Shrine clown parades, meetings and events as possible, and rarely missed a Masonic function or Scottish Rite Consistory reunion. These were things extremely close to him. Some people have second homes by the river, or in the south , but his family often said Ed's second home was the Masonic Lodge hall, Scottish Rite Temple and El Kahir Shrine Temple.
There are people who thought of Ed as a cheapskate / skinflint, and in some areas he was. But the numerous churches, Emergency Services, some Veterans groups, and various environmental concerns, who were recipients of his generous giving, would disagree. He never boasted of the things he did, but quietly tried in his own way to make the world a better place.
He believed strongly in organ/tissue donation, and was a registered donor with The Living Bank for many years, and would be encouraging each of you to consider that gift, by registering to become a donor yourself.
Ed was preceded in death by his parents, William and Gladys (Glawe) Coobs, brother, Donald, sister-in-law, Becky, brother-in-law, Verdean Thompson and stepson, Sean Lamphier.
He is survived by his wife, Sandi, his five children, twelve grandchildren, six great-grandchildren, two sisters, Shirley (Don) Marmann (Farmersburg, IA) and Dorothy Thompson (Muscatine, IA), four nieces, two nephews, numerous second and third generation nieces and nephews, cousins, many friends, and his cat, Tiger, who spent every moment allowed with him, especially the past two years.
All visitation and memorial services will be held at Peace United Church of Christ in Elkader. On Friday, January 19, the family will be present for visitation from 4:00-8:00 PM, with open Masonic services held at 7:00 PM. On Saturday, January 20, the family will be present for visitation from 9:30-10:30 AM, with memorial services held at 11:00 AM.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to those organizations that were important to Ed: Shriners Hospital for Children, Peace United Church of Christ (Elkader, IA), or Central Community Hospital / Central Ambulance Service (Elkader, IA).
He was born on an old farm property, which is now the Elkader Golf and Country Club, on November 23, 1936, to William and Gladys (Glawe) Coobs. He subsequently shared his parents with a sister, Shirley (Marmann) and twins, Dorothy (Thompson) and Donald. He was baptized at Peace United Church of Christ (UCC) in Elkader by Rev. Paul Kitterer on March 11, 1937 and confirmed his faith to Rev. Kitterer on April 2, 1950. He was a lifetime active and faithful member of Peace UCC, later serving on the Church Council and several committees, as well as doing electrical, plumbing, and other work for the church.
He attended Denmark, Lamker and again Denmark country schools, as the farm family moved around, then graduated from Central Community High School, with the Class of 1955. He was instrumental in getting the Class of ’55 together for many joyful reunions over the years and was proud that he had attended every single Alumni Banquet from 1956 till they ended in 2009.
On January 26, 1957, he married Doris Rodenberg, and they had four children: Earl (Liwen) Coobs (Billings, MT), Donna (Charles) Strange (North Liberty, IA), Eric (Lori) Coobs (Billings, MT), and Evan (Karen) Coobs (Champaign, IL) before divorcing after 13 years. On October 20, 1973 he married Sandra Lamphier, accepted a stepson, Sean Lamphier, and seven years later, another son, Cory (Tricia) Coobs (North Liberty, IA) was born to them.
Within a week of his high school graduation, he began work for Clayton County Secondary Roads, a job he thoroughly enjoyed during his 43 ½ years of dedicated service. He retired in 1998 as the second longest-tenured employee there, having worked on every single county road and having operated every piece of equipment.
He liked working on the Volga farm, taking pleasure in working with his hands and machines, and fixing most anything that could be fixed. He also used his talents in plumbing, electrical work, and carpentry, both at home and as a reliable handyman for countless others.
He thoroughly enjoyed his 19 years of “retirement,” but had to keep busy. Before a near fatal car accident in October 2015 slowed him down, for five years, he was the maintenance man for RISE Group Homes, Apartments, and Work Center. For 12+ years, he delivered meals for the local Senior Center, for which he received a Governor’s Volunteer Award. He enjoyed the summers, since 1993, when the Coobs Melons ‘n’ More fruit stand operated, visiting with old friends who stopped by, and keeping the lawns mowed.
The Coobs household has, for 40 years, shared space with cats, apparently leading him to believe that he, too, had nine lives! In 2008, he suffered a stroke. In 2009, he unwittingly drank from a bottle of kerosene. (Did you know that kerosene in an unmarked bottle looks exactly like cranberry juice? And when you have a cold, you can’t smell the difference? This is a public service announcement – LABEL any reused containers!!) Between February and April of 2010, he had nine eye surgeries, and keeping still during that recovery time was a real trial for him! Later in 2010, he upended a small tractor from a trailer on top of him at the farm, and then overturned a lawn tractor on the steep side hill behind the melon stand. In 2011, a nearly fatal attack of acute pancreatitis, while on a bus trip equaled eleven days and four surgeries in an out of state hospital. While he was still working, he lost part of a finger, and almost his head, if he hadn’t been VERY quick to move, when a large piece of steel fell from a chain. In 2015, he nearly met his Maker, in a horrible car crash just a few miles from home, resulting in a three and a half month hospitalization / rehabilitation period, which included recovery from a brain hemorrhage. Yet he came back from that, and just this past fall, was again up on ladders, cleaning eaves, painting, etc.
Even in the past two years, when he could no longer drive the Shrine clown van, which he had done for many years, he tried to make as many Shrine clown parades, meetings and events as possible, and rarely missed a Masonic function or Scottish Rite Consistory reunion. These were things extremely close to him. Some people have second homes by the river, or in the south , but his family often said Ed's second home was the Masonic Lodge hall, Scottish Rite Temple and El Kahir Shrine Temple.
There are people who thought of Ed as a cheapskate / skinflint, and in some areas he was. But the numerous churches, Emergency Services, some Veterans groups, and various environmental concerns, who were recipients of his generous giving, would disagree. He never boasted of the things he did, but quietly tried in his own way to make the world a better place.
He believed strongly in organ/tissue donation, and was a registered donor with The Living Bank for many years, and would be encouraging each of you to consider that gift, by registering to become a donor yourself.
Ed was preceded in death by his parents, William and Gladys (Glawe) Coobs, brother, Donald, sister-in-law, Becky, brother-in-law, Verdean Thompson and stepson, Sean Lamphier.
He is survived by his wife, Sandi, his five children, twelve grandchildren, six great-grandchildren, two sisters, Shirley (Don) Marmann (Farmersburg, IA) and Dorothy Thompson (Muscatine, IA), four nieces, two nephews, numerous second and third generation nieces and nephews, cousins, many friends, and his cat, Tiger, who spent every moment allowed with him, especially the past two years.
All visitation and memorial services will be held at Peace United Church of Christ in Elkader. On Friday, January 19, the family will be present for visitation from 4:00-8:00 PM, with open Masonic services held at 7:00 PM. On Saturday, January 20, the family will be present for visitation from 9:30-10:30 AM, with memorial services held at 11:00 AM.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to those organizations that were important to Ed: Shriners Hospital for Children, Peace United Church of Christ (Elkader, IA), or Central Community Hospital / Central Ambulance Service (Elkader, IA).
