Obituaries

Daniel E. Stebbins, 69, of Perry, Iowa

Mass of the Christian Burial will be 10 a.m. Wednesday, Sept. 27, 2017 at St. Patrick Catholic Church in Perry. Burial will be in Violet Hill Cemetery with military rites. Visitation will begin at 3 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 26 at Murdock Funeral Home, with the family receiving friends from 5-7 p.m. followed by a vigil service at 7 p.m. Dan passed away Sunday, Sept. 10, 2017, at his home in Perry.

Daniel E. Stebbins was born Sept. 24, 1947, in Perry, Iowa, the son of James F. and Annarose Rita (Glenn) Stebbins. He attended grade school at St. Patrick’s, attended Perry Jr. High and graduated from Perry High School with the class of 1966.

Dan entered the U.S. Air Force Sept. 26, 1966, and proudly served as a fire protection specialist at Pope Air Force Base in Fayetteville, NC until he was Honorably Discharged Sept. 25, 1970. After returning home he continued his education at DMACC in Boone, earning an Associate of Arts degree in 1974. Early in his life, Dan helped on his uncle’s farm, worked at Oscar Mayer, and held various other jobs. Outside of his time in the service, Dan lived most of his life in his hometown, with a few years spent enjoying sunny California.

Dan met the one to whom he gave all his love in July 1997. Bertie LeMaster and Dan were together for a much too short 20 years. Most of Dan’s work life was spent in over-the-road trucking, transporting mail for the U.S. Postal Service, making thousands of trips to Omaha, NE and Rock Island, IL, rotating his shifts between day and night runs. He could be counted on to fill-in most anytime a driver was needed, rarely taking a vacation during his decades of trucking. He officially retired in September of 2016, but continued to do runs as it suited his schedule. Dan loved cars and enjoyed collecting some priceless beauties over the years. He also enjoyed his membership in the Corvette Club and spending time with friends and family. He enjoyed reminiscing and could capture your attention with humorous tales of the past or instances where he’d skillfully teased friends or family, laughing so much he could hardly complete his tale.

Dan is survived by his fiancée, Roberta “Bertie” LeMaster of Granger, IA; one brother, Paul Stebbins of Woodward, IA; several aunts; an uncle; and numerous cousins both in Iowa and across the country.

Dan is preceded in death by his mother in 2002 and his father in 2008 and many aunts, uncles and other family members. Dan was a friend to any dog seeking his attention, and memorials may be directed to the Animal Rescue League in Dan’s name and may be left or sent to Murdock Funeral Home.