Homer Dumas

Homer “June” Dumas, 90, of Kingsley passed away Friday, Feb. 12, 2016, at Greater Regional Hospice Home in Creston.

Funeral services will be 11 a.m. Tuesday, Feb. 16, at Carlsen Funeral Home, 107 12th St. SE, in Le Mars. Pastor Doug Van Aarsten from Ireton First Reformed Church in Ireton will officiate. Burial will follow in Memorial Cemetery in Le Mars with military honors provided by the Heeren-McHale-Wilkens American Legion Post 724 of Brunsville. Visitation with the family present will be from 10 a.m. until service time on Tuesday at the funeral home. Expressions of sympathy can be extended to the family through www.carlsenfuneralhome.com.

Homer Charles Dumas was born to H. C. Dumas, Sr. and Isabel Ann Cox on Sept. 12, 1925, in St. Joseph, Missouri. He lost his father when he was a young boy of seven when H. C. died from injuries during the war. They later moved to the Le Mars area where his mother married Roy Bullington.

While in high school, Homer had the opportunity to move to his father’s hometown of Barnesville, Georgia, where his two aunts, Irma and Vernal resided. He graduated from Gordon Military School in 1943 and then spent time in the Merchant Marines in the Atlantic Ocean as well as the United States Air Force. When he left the service, he had a chance to attend college to major in engineering so he could join his uncle in bridge construction. However, home was calling, so he moved back to Iowa to begin farming.

He met Phyllis Jean Bleil, and they were married on June 28, 1951. Through the years, June and Phyllis farmed in Union, Stanton and Preston Townships and enjoyed farm life with many friends and neighbors.

Homer is survived by their four children, Chris (Gary) Van Gelder, Cindy (John) Hamilton, Chuck Dumas and Kay (Chuck) Mulder as well as 12 grandchildren, Kari (Van Gelder) Hudson, Brad Van Gelder, Susie (Hamilton) Johnson, Hilary (Hamilton) Masters, Phil Hamilton, Chuck Dumas, Heath Dumas, Sara (Dumas) Pearson, Jim Dumas, Joe Richardson, Jesse Richardson and Jordan Richardson and 27 great-grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by his parents and his wife, Phyllis, in 2001.