Kenneth Selzer

KENNETH SELZER Fairfax Kenneth Owen Selzer, 79, a lifelong resident of Fairfax, died Thursday, April 16, 2015, at Mercy Medical Center from complications of diabetes. Services: 10:30 a.m. Monday at St. John XXIII Catholic Church, Cedar Rapids, by the Rev. Dustin Vu. Burial: St. Patrick Cemetery, Fairfax. A rosary will be recited at 2 p.m. Sunday by the Knights of Columbus at Teahen Funeral Home, Cedar Rapids, where friends may visit with the family on Sunday from 2 to 6 p.m., and at the church Monday after 9:30 a.m. Ken is survived by his wife, Mary Catherine; two sons, Ralph (Katharine) of West Des Moines and Jeff (Mary Jo Roling) of Greer, S.C.; a daughter, Deb Sullivan of Cedar Rapids; four grandchildren, Stephanie (Nick) Jelinek, Matthew Sullivan (Abby Seyfer) and Rachel and Curtis Selzer; one great-granddaughter, Camilla Rae Jelinek; a brother, Curtis Selzer of Fairfax; a sister, Mildred Harover of Cedar Rapids; his step-mother, Leoma Harris; two sisters-in-law, Dorothy Selzer of Waukesha, Wis., and Margaret Selzer of Cedar Rapids; and several nephews, nieces and cousins. He was preceded in death by his parents; his stepfather, Ralph Tines; three brothers, Bill, Wallace and Lloyd Selzer; a brother-in-law, John Harover; and a sister-in-law, Vickie Selzer. Ken was born Dec. 20, 1935, in Fairfax, the son of Jacob and Mary Smith Selzer. He married Mary Catherine Smith on June 24, 1961, in Cartersville. He graduated from Fairfax High School in 1956 and then received a B.A. from the University of Iowa while working full time for Wilson Foods and the Linn County Sheriff's Department. He later received a MBA from Nova University in Florida. Before college he worked at Downing Box Co. In the mid-1970s, Ken's business passion led to a career in real estate and property management, ultimately taking over the family business, Selzer Construction Co. for 24 years until his retirement in 2000. He was especially proud of his land development projects. Ken was a former member of St. Patrick Catholic Church and a current member of St. John XXIII Catholic Church. He was a Third Degree member of the Knights of Columbus Father Thomas Schwinn Council No. 11942 and a Fourth Degree member of Monsignor Sampson Assembly. He was a member and trustee of the Catholic Order of Foresters and had served as Cedar Valley president from 1997 to 1998. Ken was a longtime active member of the Greater Cedar Rapids and Marion Home Builders Association, Iowa Home Builders Association and National Association of Home Builders. Ken enjoyed his work as a lobbyist on behalf of the Home Builders both in Iowa and in Washington, D.C., and noted that over a period of 14 years he never missed a National Home Builders Association meeting. Ken served as president of the Cedar Rapids Chapter, national director of the state of Iowa, Area 10 national vice-president, and served for seven years on the National Executive Committee. Ken loved spending time with his family, and enjoyed gardening and taking care of his fruit trees. He was always proud of the fact that he was a lifelong member of the Fairfax community. A special thank you to the 7th floor Mercy Medical Center nursing staff for its kind and compassionate care for both Ken and his family. Instead of flowers, memorials may be directed to St. John XXIII Catholic Church, the Fairfax Fire Department or the Fairfax Library. Online condolences may be left for the family at www.teahenfuneral home.com.