March 28, 2024

Eldon Starmer

Creston

Eldon Starmer, 66, of Creston died Tuesday, July 11, 2017, at Greater Regional Hospice Home in Creston.

Celebration of life memorial services will be 10:30 a.m. Friday at Powers Funeral Home, junction of highways 34 and 25, in Creston. Bill Armstrong will officiate. Burial will be in Diagonal Cemetery in Diagonal. Full military honors will be conducted by Diagonal American Legion Post No. 395. Open visitation will be from 2 to 7 p.m. Thursday with family present from 5 to 7 p.m. at the funeral home. Memorials can be given to the family for later designation. Online condolences may be left at www.powersfh.com.

Eldon Lee Starmer, son of Elmer Alexander Starmer and Verna Grace (Fine) Starmer, was born July 19, 1950, in Creston. He grew up on a farm southeast of Diagonal and graduated from Diagonal Community High School in 1968. He furthered his education at Southwestern Community College in Creston in the trades program, graduating in 1969.

On Aug. 2, 1969, Eldon married Linda Mae Bohn at the RLDS Church in Mount Ayr. Eldon enlisted in the United States Army in 1970 and served in Vietnam. He was honorably discharged in 1971 and returned to Diagonal where he and Linda farmed for several years. He also did some side jobs remodeling and construction. In 1985, they moved to Tucson, Arizona, where Eldon was a project manager for Desert Builders Construction. They returned to Iowa in 1987, and Eldon worked as weatherization evaluator, inoperator and coordinator for MATURA Action Corporation until his retirement. He officially retired February 2017. Eldon and Linda renewed their vows June 6, 2017, at their home in Creston.

Eldon was on the Diagonal School Board and a member of American Legion Post No. 395 in Diagonal. He was a former member of Lions Club, volunteer fireman and on the city council. Eldon was instrumental in the planning and construction of Diagonal Community Center.

Eldon is survived by his wife Linda Starmer of Creston; son Matt (Melissa) Starmer of Audubon; grandchildren, Mason and Maliha Starmer and sisters, Marilyn Bear of Mount Ayr and Merill McCullough of Grande Cache, Alberta, Canada.

Eldon was preceded in death by his son Chad in 1986; grandson Maddox in 2013; parents, Elmer and Verna Starmer; mother- and father-in-law, Bill and Viola Bohn and brothers-in-law, Bill Bohn Jr., John Bohn, Richard Richardson, Gary Bear and Gary McCullough.