Kerr, Homer S.

Homer S. Kerr was born Oct. 3, 1910, the son of Wm. F. and Sarah Anna (Brower) Kerr, near South English, Iowa. He attended Locust Grove country school and graduated from South English High School in 1928. Homer worked on the farm with his parents and married Dorothy Williams of Ollie at the Church of the Brethren parsonage in Ottumwa, Iowa, on Jan. 2, 1937.

Homer and Dorothy farmed in the community for many years. As a sideline he also did custom work and had a trucking business.

Homer was a member of the English River Church of the Brethren, served on the Church Building Committee, Trustee Board, Cemetery Committee and was a Sunday school teacher. He was a choir member and chairman of the Men's Organization for 50 years. He was chairman of the Northern Plains Men's Fellowship for four years. Homer and Dorothy were sponsors of the Kinross Christian and Church of the Brethren Young Peoples Group for four years. He was also a member of a local quartet, singing at funerals, church, school and other community programs.

Homer was chairman of the South English Lions Club for five years. He was president of the Kinross PTA. He helped organize the English Valleys Community School and served as director for two terms.

He served 24 years as Township Trustee and was elected and served nine years on the Keokuk County Board of Supervisors. He served two terms on the County Conservation Board. He negotiated the purchase of the first 160 acres for the Belva Deer Park. He was a member of the Keokuk County Chapter of the Izaak Walton League of America for over 45 years and served as secretary for the club for over 20 years. He received the Iowa Division of the Izaak Walton League of America Hall of Fame Award in 1992. He was Keokuk County representative to the South Central Mental Health Board for nine years and Keokuk County tourism representative for over 30 years, promoting Iowa and Keokuk County in many locations around the Midwest. He served on the local Election Board for over 50 years.

This volunteer was a founding member of the 10 County Regional Planning Commission in Ottumwa and served as chairman for 15 years. He was also a founding member of Pathfinders R C & D in Fairfield and was a board member for over 20 years and chairman for 13 years. He served 11 years as emcee at the R C & D Conservation Tillage Conference in Ottumwa and received the North Central Association of R C & D area (seven state) Outstanding Individual Award.

Homer was an assistant Soil and Water Commissioner since 1979, the first six years as commissioner, and at age 93, received the Ruth Wagoner Outstanding Assistant Commissioner Award of the State of Iowa. He has installed many conservation practices on his farms and practiced no-till and conservation tillage because it was the right thing to do. Homer also spent 15 years as a field assessor for the county assessor.

Homer volunteered for many community projects, one of which was helping out at the 6th grade Camp-Out every spring for 20+ years. He conducted the fire-starting contest and also a class on boat safety. He was an emcee for many events and delivered the children's talk at his church on Arbor Day and gave each child a tree to plant. Homer had a gift of memorizing poetry and could recite poems throughout his life, including before he started school.

Homer and Dorothy were married for over 67 years. They liked to travel and were to Canada fishing and sightseeing many times, including Churchill and Hudson Bay. They were in Alaska six times, once above the Arctic Circle, to the Eskimo village of Kotzebue, to Dutch Harbor in the Aleutian Islands and Kodiak Island. They traveled to Wyoming and Montana on hunting trips many times, making lasting friendships wherever they went. They were in almost all states in the lower forty-eight except a few in the Northeast. After Dorothy lost her leg in February 2002, Homer did all of the laundry and cooking.

Homer is survived by five children: Phyllis J. (Willie) Coffman and husband Terry Greene, Jo Ann Horner and husband Bill, John S. and wife Nancy, Judith (Jude) and husband Doug Krehbiel and Janie and husband Gary Miller; 14 grandchildren; 24 great-grandchildren; five stepgreat-grandchildren; three great-great-grandchildren; and a sister, Erma Petry of North Manchester, Ind.

Homer moved to the English Valley Care Center in North English on Sept. 22, 2011, where he lived until his death on Wednesday, Dec. 21, 2011, at the age of 101 years, 2 months and 17 days.

Preceding him in death were his wife, Dorothy in April 2004; his parents, Wm. F. and Sarah Anna Brower Kerr; brother, John W. Kerr; and two great-grandchildren, Emily Mann and Christopher Quinn.

Celebration of Life services will be held at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, Dec. 27, at English River Church of the Brethren near South English, with Pastor Diana Lovett officiating. Burial will be in the church cemetery. Visitation will be from 3 until 7 p.m. Monday, Dec. 26, at Powell Funeral Home in North English.

In lieu of flowers, a memorial fund has been established for the English River Church of the Brethren, Keokuk County Hospice or Iowa Hospice.

Powell Funeral Home and Cremation Service in North English is handling the arrangements.

Messages and tributes may be sent online at  under obituaries.

Published Dec. 23, 2011, in The Gazette