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Cooksley, Gilbert A.
Gilbert A. Cooksley, 82, of Earlville, died Monday, Jan. 16, 2012 at Shady Rest Care Center in Cascade. Friends and relatives of Gilbert may call from 4 to 8 p.m. Thursday at the Reiff Funeral Home in Dyersville. Private services for Gilbert A. Cooksley will held at 10:30 a.m. Friday, Jan. 20, at the funeral home with Pastor Corby Johnson officiating. Burial will be held in Mount Hope Cemetery, Dyersville, with Flag Presentation by the Dyersville American Legion-Post No. 137.
Gilbert was born March 19, 1929, in Delaware County, Iowa, in the family home where his father, Albert and twin brother, Edward were also born. He was the son of Albert and Laura (Streif) Cooksley. He received his education in the rural Cooksley Country school.
Gilbert was a veteran having served from August 1951 to August 1953 with the U.S. Marine Corps in Korea. He received the Korean Service Medal 3 A and the United States Service Medal.
On April 24, 1954, he was united in marriage to Elaine Buschmann of Chicago, and raised five children. They were later divorced. He farmed in the rural Dyersville area his entire life on the family farm. Gilbert was a life long farmer, he loved being outside, planting flowers and raising his animals, including various cats and dogs. In his later years, he raised stock cows he referred to as his “Babies.” He also enjoyed going to farm sales and auctions. Family always said his car automatically turned at the Dairy Queen for ice cream. The last few years he was on the farm he was able to continue to be there with the support of his neighbors including John and Michelle Pasker and Al and Rhonda Becker.
He is survived by five children, Janet Duneman of Dyersville, Wayne Cooksley and Ray (Tern) Cooksley, both of Manchester, Larry (Mary) Cooksley of Oskaloosa, and Mary (Danny) Tekippe of Manchester; 10 grandchildren; five great-grandchildren; and the mother of his children, Elaine Cooksley of Manchester.
He was preceded in death by his parents; and siblings, Alice in infancy, Alberta (Harold) Reth and Donald (Marjorie) Cooksley.
A Gilbert A. Cooksley memorial fund has been established in lieu of flowers.
Online condolences may be left for the family at .
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