Obituaries : Louis M. Winslow

Louis M. Winslow, age 97, of Belle Plaine, Iowa, went to be with his Lord on Wednesday, March 15, 2023.

Louis, the son of Melvin Winslow and Abigail McLennan Winslow, was born January 5, 1926 at the farm home of his parents near Belle Plaine. He attended Walnut Creek/Jefferson No.1 School in Poweshiek County through the eighth grade and graduated from Belle Plaine High School in 1943. Following graduation, he prepared to enlist in the air corps during World War II, but was needed on the farm so was deferred.

Louis was united in marriage to Lillian Maude Beck on April 25, 1948 at the Christ United Methodist Church in Belle Plaine. They loved each other and their life on the Winslow family farm and were grateful to be in their 75th year of marriage. They were blessed with three children, Francine, Doug and Bonnie. They resided on the farm until moving to Lakeview Village in Amana, IA in 2016.

Louis was a faithful servant of the Lord and deeply involved in his local church. He began serving as an usher as a young man, which is when he first caught Lillian's eye. In later years, Louis developed a ministry of audio recording for the Sunday services. He and Lillian delivered the cassette tapes every Sunday to several homebound parishioners. Throughout their lives, they loved Bible study and supporting missionary work and various Christian endeavors.

Louis was a life-long learner, a creative problem solver, and had a spirit of innovation. He enjoyed farming, raising beef cattle, shearing sheep, and doing custom fieldwork. Louis also worked at Amana Refrigeration in Amana for 25 years. His many varied interests included photography, training Labrador retrievers, hunting and fishing, and receiving patents on two ring puzzles.

Louis and Lillian enjoyed attending family reunions and many of their children's and grandchildren's activities as they were growing up, including concerts, sports, and plays. Louis and Lillian had a special interest in preserving the history of the community. They helped organize the Oak Hill Cemetery Walk for two years and were active members of the Belle Plaine Historical Museum. In 2008, they were honored as the Parade Marshalls of the Belle Plaine 4th of July parade.

Louis is survived by his wife, Lillian; three children, Francine (Harlan) Lemke of Colorado Springs, CO, Doug of Coralville, IA, and Bonnie Winslow-Garvin of North Liberty, IA; five grandchildren, Melissa (Dan) Sievers of Colorado Springs, CO, Sara (Jay) Haddix also of Colorado Springs, Mark (Meghan) Lemke of Flower Mound, TX, Katherine (Sam) Andrews of Cedar Rapids, IA, and Elizabeth Garvin of Madison, WI; and four great-grandchildren, Anna, Caleb, Leilana, and Leo.

Louis is preceded in death by his parents, Melvin and Abigail; three sisters, Irene Williams, Jane and Carol Winslow; and son-in-law, Michael Garvin.

Funeral services are pending.

Memorial gifts may be directed to Christ United Methodist Church or to the family. Online condolences may be made to the family at www.neuhausfuneralservice.com.

The Winslow family would like to extend our gratitude to all the staff at Lakeview Village and Colonial Manor in Amana and Essence of Life Hospice for their loving care.