Dunlap, Rod

Rod Dunlap, 74, of South Amana, died peacefully surrounded by his family on Saturday, May 22, 2010, at sunrise. Memorial services to celebrate Rod's life will be held at 11 a.m. Thursday, May 27, at the Oxford United Methodist Church, with the Rev. Beverly Birtcher officiating. Burial will be at a later date at Oak Shade in Marion. The family will greet friends from 4 to 7 p.m. Wednesday at the church in Oxford, where the Central City Masonic Lodge will conduct a ceremony at 7 p.m.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to Iowa City Hospice.

Arrangements are with Lensing Funeral and Cremation Service, Iowa City.

Rod was born Feb. 2, 1936, in Maquoketa, Iowa, the son of Gail and Bertha Applegate Dunlap. On Aug. 10, 1955, Rod married Charlotte Mertka at the Little Brown Church in Nashua. Rod served as a paratrooper in the United States Army from 1953-56. He had worked as a railroad brakeman, a tree trimmer and logger. Rod had been the superintendent of Public Works and the deputy director of the Linn County Conservation Board. In 1970, he moved his family to Oxford, where he began his career as the first director of the Johnson County Conservation Board, retiring in 2001. He devoted 31 years in the development and application of the true meaning of nature. He instilled the same love of nature in the lives of his family and all those who knew him.

Rod spent his retirement years enjoying his family, and spending time in his workshop, where he created and built beautiful pieces. Fishing, hunting, traveling, chopping his own firewood and more fishing were joys of retirement.

Rod was a self-educated man. He learned how nature works and taught others how to work with nature. Rod placed his heart and soul in his work with his vision, ambition, determination and dedication.

Our father didn't tell us how to live. “HE LIVED” and let us watch him do it. He will be greatly missed by his wife and family.

Rod is survived by his wife, Charlotte; three daughters, Brenda (Jeff) Verry of Clear Lake, Sue (Rich) Rugger of Oxford and Kathy Dunlap and fiance Murray Cave of Tiffin; one son, Gail (Cyndi) Dunlap of Swisher; eight grandchildren, John Verry, Chelsie (Tom) Frelund, Kelly Rugger, Brooke Rugger, Michael Rugger, Tyler Dunlap, Mitchel Dunlap and Chad Eckrich; two great-grandchildren, Logan and Cullen Frelund; one brother, Bud (Elsie) Dunlap of Florida; and three sisters, Ardella (Alvin) Stemm of Lone Tree, Lynette (Larry) Starr and Mary Jane (Bruce) Evans, both of Ohio.

He was preceded in death by his parents, and two brothers, Larry and Don.

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