Obituary of Delmar Ray Petersma

Funeral service for Delmar R. Petersma, 81, of Newton, will be held at 2pm on Tuesday, March 15, 2011, at First Lutheran Church in Newton. The family will greet friends after the service in the Fellowship Hall of the church. Cremains will be interred at a later date. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to Shriner's Hospitals for Children, Hospice of Jasper County, or First Lutheran Church, in Newton. Delmar Ray Petersma, passed away peacefully on March 4th, 2011 at Hospice of Jasper County's Monarch Wing from Lewy Body Dementia. His brain has been donated to research, at the University of Iowa. Del the son of Henry and Eva Jane (Van Ekeren) Petersma, was born on December 17th, 1929, in Pella, Iowa. He graduated from Pella High School in the Class of 1947. He served in the Navy aboard the aircraft carrier USS Rendova, 1948-1950, he was stationed at the Fleet Sonar School in San Diego, CA 1950-1952 and was honorably discharged as an Electrician First Class. He later attended ISU in the fall of 1953, where he met his future bride, Sharon Lou Arrasmith of Ames. He transferred to the University of Iowa in the fall of 1954, graduating with a BA degree in Business Administration in 1956. Del was united in marriage with Sharon Arrasmith on Sept. 12th, 1954, in Ames, Iowa. Del and Sharon had 3 children, Vicki Rae, Jay Daniel, and a stillborn daughter Laurie Ann. Del began working for the Maytag Company in the Industrial Engineering Dept in 1957, retiring 35.6 years later, Dec of 1992, as Superintendent of Maintenance Staff Services. An active member of the First Lutheran Church, Del served in many different capacities over the past 50 years. He and Sharon have been Patron members of the Newton Community Theater since its inception and in earlier years he was involved in the staging process of several plays. Del was a 60-yr.member of the Masons Lodge #59 AF & AM, Scottish Rite, & Za-Ga-Zig Shrine. Also, he was a member of the Newton Elks Lodge 1270 and the V.F.W. Lodge #1655. Del loved working with wood and was very proud of his yard. Del and Sharon loved to travel, visiting all 48 continental U.S. states, Hawaii, Alaska, Australia, New Zealand, the Netherlands, Scandinavia, Europe, and a Panama Canal cruise. Sharon and Del celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary with their children and grandchildren in Cancun, Mexico. Del is survived by his best friend and loving wife of 56 years, Sharon, his daughter Vicki (Greg) Hill, Mount Joy, PA; his son Dr Jay Petersma (Janet) Johnston, IA; 5 grand-daughters, Kristin, Danielle, & Amanda Hill of Boston MA, Mallory Hill, Mount Joy, PA. and Bailey Petersma, Johnston, IA; 2 sisters, Betty (Marvin) Vander Werff , Pella, IA, Joyce (Doyle) Lammey, AlbertLea, MN.; a brother, Melvin (Janice) Petersma also of Pella; brother-in-law Daniel (Joyce) Arrasmith , Hickory, NC and many nieces, nephews and cousins. Del was preceded in death by his parents, Eva and Henry Petersma; a daughter Laurie Ann; his parents- in-law Lyle and Herman "Dutch" Arrasmith; and all of his aunts and uncles.