Services
Obituary
David L. Lesher, 74, of Grimes, formerly of Clarion, passed away on Saturday, April. 6, 2024, at the Granger Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Granger, Iowa.
A Celebration of Life will be held at 4 pm on Monday, June 10, 2024, at Sunny Hill Cemetery in Grimes, Iowa, with a reception to follow at the Main Street Venue in Grimes.
David was born on May 11, 1949, to Melvin Lesher and Lois (Buckwalter) Lesher. David grew up in a loving home on the family farm west of Clarion. While David always possessed a wanderlust spirit, he found joy and happiness at the farm and loved to share fond memories of the very best of those days with his sisters and family.
David graduated from Clarion High School and joined the Navy serving on the USS Intrepid. His tour from 1968 to 1972 took him the world over. David earned the unofficial title of golden shell back in his navy days crossing the equator and international date line.
After he returned home from his tour, he met Carol Kroeger and was married December 16, 1978. The couple lived in Boston, Massachusetts for 3 years and enjoyed hiking and backpacking with friends. When their first child Courtney was born, David and Carol moved back to Clarion to be closer to family.
David, Carol and their three girls lived on the family farm with Melvin and Lois for 40 years. David and his family enjoyed taking care of the acreage and devoted themselves to the work. His other joy was spending time with their extended family and friends during their visits. Many of the best days were spent visiting under the shade of a summer tree or around an evening campfire in the yard. David was well known for his genuine smiles, warm company and bushy beard.
David was a long-time member of the United Methodist Church. He enjoyed participating in choir, Bible study and the fellowship of his community. He and fellow choir members formed the group “Five for One” and toured central Iowa leading musical worship.
After retiring from Hagie Manufacturing, David spent his time catching up on the multitude of chores that the acreage always provided. He was happy to work on these projects with his grandsons. David will be remembered by all of his grandsons for his frequent hugs and snuggles.
David is survived by his wife Carol Lesher (Grimes), his daughters Courtney Lesher, Kimberly (Alexander) Stone, and Kellie (Garret) Saxton and his five grandsons, Isaac, Gus, Cal, Theodore, and Cormac. He is also survived by his sister Rhonda Dickerson, many nephews and nieces and is also remembered fondly by his many friends.
Preceding David in death are his parents Melvin and Lois, his sisters Melanie Sweeney and Linda Jurrens, and his brother-in-law Gary Sweeney.