John Edward Stevenson

John Edward Stevenson, 81, of Marshalltown, died Monday, August 30, 2010, at the Marshalltown Medical & Surgical Center. Visitation for John will be held from 5:00 PM 7:00 PM on Friday, September 3, at the Mitchell Family Funeral Home where his family will be present to greet friends. (Please note the date of funeral service is not the day following visitation.) Funeral services for John will be held at 10:30 AM, Tuesday, September 7, 2010 at the Mitchell Family Funeral Home. Following services at Mitchell Family Funeral Home, committal services with Full Military Honors will take place at 2:00PM at the Iowa Veterans Cemetery in Van Meter, Iowa. John was born December 7, 1928, in Colfax, Iowa the son of Elmer Edward Stevenson and Dorothy Lillian Coates. He was raised and educated in Colfax and graduated from the Colfax High School. John enlisted with the United States Navy at an early age and began his career on the East Coast of the United States. During his twenty year career in the Navy, John was stationed at several locations throughout the United States and honorably served his country as a 3 War Veteran during World War II, the Korean War and the Vietnam War. John was united in marriage to Betty Lou Lewis on October 23, 1966 in Missouri. John and Betty made their home in Marshalltown where they raised their family. Following his honorable discharge from the United States Navy John worked as a Traffic Wait Officer for the Iowa Department of Transportation, Marshalltown Trowel and Brown & Sons Auto. John also served as a volunteer driver for the Disabled American Veterans in Marshalltown for several years. During his free time John enjoyed reading western books, fishing and spending time with his family, especially his grandchildren and great-grandchildren. John was a member of the Harry C. Harter VFW Post #839, the Conrad American Legion Post #681 and the Marshalltown B.P.O. Elks Lodge #312. John is survived by his wife Betty Lou of Marshalltown, his two sons: Elmer Earl Stevenson of Fort Myers, Florida and Douglas Eugene Stevenson of Marshalltown, his three daughters: Jo Sandra Stevenson of Forest City, North Carolina, Betty LuAnn (Terry) Brown of Marshalltown, Iowa and Kimberly Jo (Bryan) Cox of Marshalltown, Iowa, his two sisters: Peggy (Don) Pruitt of Marshalltown and Beverly (Dean) Loughry of Marshalltown, his three brothers: Max Stevenson of Marshalltown, Harry Stevenson of Oregon and Richard (Carolyn) Stevenson of Marshalltown, his grandchildren: Shane (Tammy) Brown, Mike Barnes, TJ (Rachel) Brown, Jeramy (Fellicity) Brown, Chester (Ashley) Brown, Michelle Brown, Terrissa Brown, Christopher Brown, Kimberly Marissa Brown, Shannon Brown, Aspen Brown, Nikolas Stevenson, Autumn Brown and Caleb Cox, his great-grandchildren: Brad, Kaitlin, Ashley, Tyler, Brianne, Emma, Keygan, Easton, and several nieces and nephews. John was preceded in death by his parents, his mother and father-in-law and his son-in-law Terry Brown.