DERAL DEAN EWING

Deral Dean Ewing, also known as JIGS or IRON MAN to some, passed away on February 27, 2023.

Deral was born to Margaret (Meg) Butrick Ewing and Melvin Ewing on May 30, 1942. Deral received his education in the Otho and Fort Dodge School Districts. Deral served his country in Vietnam from 1964 to 1966, his rank SPC E-4. He loved fishing, hunting, training horses, ranch rodeos, rodeos and go karting. He absolutely loved the outdoors and his family. Deral loved to visit and never knew a stranger. He loved going to Methodist Church in Otho. He was a member of the Otho Saddle Club and the Dayton Wranglers. One of the most famous quotes of Dad’s was, “If I had to do it all over again, I wouldn’t have went so slow.”

Deral married Marcia Fish on April 15, 1967, and to this union two sons were born, Randy and Jason. The couple later divorced. On May 12, 1979, Deral married Sandra Jemeraland and from this union he gained three stepdaughters. Sandy and Deral were married until her death in 2016. Deral had a special friend at the time of his passing, Rose Nieland. Deral and Rose went to Florida several times to visit Deral’s son, Randy. They enjoyed bird watching, fishing, and traveling. Deral was employed with Woodruff Construction, and then as a welder and fabricator with United States Gypsum Corporation, from where he retired, after 20 years of service.

Deral is survived by his sons Randy (Deb) Ewing of Daytona Beach, FL, and Jason (Linda) Ewing of Otho, IA; three step daughters, Cindy Bacon of Colfax, IA, Lori Summers (Denny) of Dayton, IA, and Toni Deal (Justin) of Fort Dodge, IA; eight step grandchildren and several step great grandchildren; his brother Robert Ewing of Otho, sisters, Clara Gansz (Denny Schlueter) of Burnside, IA, Peggy Stewart (Daryl Montgomery) of Fort Dodge, IA, and Lila Riedesel (Ken) of New Mexico. Deral is preceded in death by his parents, his wife Sandy, and brothers, Bernard, Donald and Lyle.

A service honoring Deral’s life will be 1:00 p.m. Wednesday, March 8, at the Gunderson Funeral Chapel. Military honors will be presented by V.F.W. Post No. 1856 and the Iowa Army National Guard. The visitation is 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. Tuesday at Gunderson Funeral Home & Cremation Services.