David Ciha

DAVID CIHA

Kalona

David W. Ciha, 82, of Kalona, died Friday, June 20, 2014, at Mercy Iowa City. Funeral services will be 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, June 24, at Gay & Ciha Funeral Service in Iowa City. Burial to follow in Oakland Cemetery, Solon. Military honors will be provided. Visitation will be from 4 to 7 p.m. Monday at the funeral home.

Online condolences may be sent for his family through the Web at www.gayand ciha.com.

David Wesley Ciha was born April 15, 1932, the son of Wesley and Lois (Longerbeam) Ciha, just outside the town of Sutliff at their home. He went to country school at Big Grove No. 5 after his parents purchased land southeast of Solon. After seven years at Big Grove and being the only one in his class, he took an entrance exam for high school and proceeded to ace it. He graduated in 1950 with the third best grades for his class.

He enlisted in the U.S. Navy on March 21, 1951, and served four years during the Korean conflict. Dave served as a medic on the U.S. Renville APA227 and was honorably discharged on March 20, 1955. While serving, he was united in marriage to Marian Woy.

Moving back to this area following his Navy service, he worked for Schwitter Co. in Cedar Rapids as a mechanic for heavy duty road equipment. In 1962, he went to work at Moore Business Forms Inc. as a press helper. As the years went on he was promoted to the maintenance department and finished his 30-year career as engineering/maintenance manager.

About the time he started his career with Moore Business Forms, he moved his family to Coralville to the Brick House on Fifth Street. It was commonplace to see a pile of sand and gravel in the driveway next to the old International truck as Dave and his crew (family) were always in the midst of projects enhancing their home. Having no college degree in engineering didn't stop Dave in designing and building anything he set his mind to. His strong will could also be seen in other ways. When he saw that Fifth Street was getting unsafe for families to ride their bicycles on it with the cars and trucks, he was the driving force to get the first bike lanes in Coralville in place! (still there) His passion for bicycles encouraged him to take his sons on a three-state tour of Iowa, Illinois and Missouri on bike, followed by a trip to Canada the next year on two wheels – some three years before you heard of the first RAGBRAI, which he rode five times with Team Ciha Pet in years to come.

Dave later married Kay Nealson on June 22, 1974, at the Little Brown Church in Nasuha, nearly 40 years ago. He and Kay shared so much in their lives together! One of the many hobbies over the years was raising and showing pedigreed show rabbits all over the U.S. This started as a 4-H project for Tami and Jodi and it lasted over 20 years. Dave and Kay served as the rabbit department superintendents for the Johnson County Fair for over 10 years.

In 1992, Dave and Kay, along with Wes, Dave's father, started the construction of a new home south of Kalona. This beautiful home has been the gathering place for many class reunions, garden parties, political meetings, and of course many family events. "Love, Dad, Grandpa" was most proud of his family; he instilled in all of us the value of hard work, family values, caring for Mother Nature, whether it was the birds, turkeys, deer or waterways, this Mother Earth is all we have! He enjoyed woodworking, bicycling, restoring John Deeres, gardening and supporting the Democratic Party on the local, state and national levels!

His family includes his wife, Kay; their children, Karen Ciha, Diane Thomsen (Mike), Dave Ciha (Laura), Dan Ciha (Colette Soults), Bill Ciha (Wendy Rasmussen), Tami Stellmach (John) and Jodi Nealson (Jeff Lipcamon); 17 grandchildren; 12 great-grandchildren; and brother, Larry Ciha (Corleen) of Hackensack, Minn.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Wes and Lois; and in 2004, by his brother, Tom

A gentle soul's voice is silenced. Rest in peace my love.