Services were held Wednesday, November 17, at the Slininger-Rossow Chapel in Jefferson for Gary D. Burkett, 60, of Rippey, longtime Greene County area resident.
The Rev. Rayl Robbins, chaplain at Mary Greeley Medical Center in Ames, officiated and provided music. Honorary casket bearers were grand children Tiffany and Ashley Hanson, Alex, Dylan and Hannah McConnell, Morgan Burkett and Jarrett Delp.
Casket bearers were Joe Gibbs, Kevin and Chan Burkett, John McConnell, Jim Rice, and Jacob Hanson. Interment was in Junction Township Cemetery at Grand Junction.
Services were arranged by Slininger-Rossow Funeral Homes Inc. of Jefferson and Grand Junction. Memorials are suggested to Homeward Hospice, 400 South Dakota Avenue, Ames, Iowa, 50010.
Gary Dean Burkett, son of Leland Burkett and Anna May Jeraldine (Jerri) Sifrit Burkett, was born December 30, 1943 in Jefferson. He attended school in Dana, graduating from East Greene. Several years later he attended and graduated from Des Moines Area Community College.
Gary married Deborah Ann Vermillion on July 4, 1967. They had three daughters and resided in the Greene County area. They later divorced after 13 years of marriage.
Gary was employed for several years as activity director for the Boone County Work Activity Center, maintained his own sales company several years, and was most recently employed until September 2004, at Rowley Memorial Masonic Home in Perry.
Gary died November 13, 2004, at his home after a short battle with cancer. He was preceded in death by his father in August 2003.
Survivors include three daughters, Leigh Ann Gibbs and husband Joe of Boone, Kendra McConnell and husband John of Jefferson and Hallie Rice and her husband, Jim of Scranton; eight grandchildren, Tiffany, Ashley, Jacob, Alex, Dylan, Hannah, Morgan and Jarrett, his mother Jerri Burkett of Jefferson; his companion, Mary Buchman of Gilbert; two brothers, Larry and his wife Mary of Rippey and Mick and his wife, Connie of Grand Junction; two nieces, four nephews, three great nieces and five great nephews.
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