Everett Lockhart

Everett Earl Lockhart passed away April 28, 2015 at the Good Samaritan Nursing Home in West Union, Iowa at age 93.

He was born April 8, 1922 near Brandon, Iowa.

Everett developed a passion for music early in life which carried into high school at LaPorte City, where he and friends formed their own band known as the 'Rubber Band'!

Everett was also athletic, playing basketball and later enjoyed bowling and playing golf, especially with his foster brother, Cliff Branaman.

In 1942, he enlisted in the U.S. Army.

During the war years, Everett married Dorothy Pearl Clark from LaPorte City, Iowa. She took a train from Waterloo, Iowa to Sacramento, Calif. where they were married July 1, 1944.

Before deployment, the U.S. Army sent Everett for training in engineering to Rolla, Missouri, and schools in Idaho and South Dakota. Electronics came easy to Everett and he served in the Signal Corps during the war.

He also found time to play in a service band that he and others formed. The band played for the troops on ships as they sailed throughout the Pacific.

Everett received four bronze stars for three landings in the South Pacific plus the liberation of the Philippines. He also served for several weeks in Occupied Japan following the war in the same office complex as General Douglas MacArthur.

After the war, Everett completed his B.A. degree in 1951 majoring in business from Iowa State Teachers College. He completed his Master's Degree in music in 1962 from the State College of Iowa and finished his Masters plus 30 certificate in 1967 from the University of Northern Iowa. Note that it was the same university with different name changes!

After the war, Everett and Dorothy began their married life in LaPorte City, Iowa managing the Gambles Store after his father's death. His knowledge of electronics led him to Raytheon in Oelwein, Iowa.

While living in Oelwein, he had an opportunity to enter teaching music for both the Hazleton and Maynard school districts. Everett taught across north central Iowa in West Bend, Burt, Swea City, and finally back to the Alpha, Hawkeye, and West Union school districts, where he finished his teaching career. Everett loved his marching bands and remembered each junior high and high school musician and the instrument they played well into his later years.

Everett and Dorothy had three daughters, Linda Jean; Gwen Irene; and Cheryl Lynn.

Besides music, Everett and Dorothy loved to fish and purchased their dream cabin on the Mississippi River in Harpers Ferry, Iowa. Family activities would center around their cabin and life on the river. Mark Twain had nothing on the Lockhart family!

After retiring, Everett continued his life in music and became well known and respected as a piano tuner. He also continued to play the piano and keyboard well into his later years at various events, senior centers, and assisted living homes in Northeast Iowa. His keyboard was at his side when he passed from this life.

Everett was preceded in death by his wife, Dorothy; parents, Walter and Florence Lockhart; three brothers, Forest, Veryl, and Marion; one sister, Margaret; and foster brother Cliff Branaman.

Dorothy and Everett celebrated their Golden Wedding anniversary in 1994 and were married for fifty-seven years.

Everett is survived by daughter Linda (Rick) Roberts of Overland Park, Kansas; daughter Gwen (Dan) Silhacek of Spillville, Iowa; daughter Cheryl (Rusty) McCune of Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin; eight grandchildren, Randy (Beverly) Roberts, Robin (Sara) Roberts, Stacy (Al) McCune, Betsy (Chad) Anteau, Aaron Tieden, Lindsey (Aaron) Bohr, Haley (Andrew) Ungs, and John Silhacek; four great-grandchildren plus many relatives and friends.

Funeral services were held at 11:00 am on Saturday, May 2, 2015 at the United Methodist Church in West Union with the Rev. Chris Ebbers officiating.

The graveside service followed at 2 pm at Westview Cemetery in La Porte City, Iowa.

A public visitation was held from 5 pm until 8 pm on Friday, May 1, 2015 at S.K. Rogers & Burnham-Wood Funeral Home in West Union.

Memorials in Everett's honor will be directed to the Good Samaritan Society of West Union, United Methodist Church of West Union, and North Fayette Valley Music Program.

S.K. Rogers Burnham-Wood Funeral Home of West Union was in charge of the arrangements.   18u18