Dean Polking

Dean Polking, at the age of 99, passed away peacefully at the Paula J. Baber Hospice Home on Friday, December 6th, 2024.

Funeral services will be held 11:00 AM on Thursday, December 12th at Holy Trinity Church. Burial will be in Corpus Christi Cemetery with Military Rites conducted by the V.F.W. Post 1856 and the U.S. Army Honor Guard. Visitation will be on Wednesday from 4:00 PM to 7:00 PM at Laufersweiler Funeral Home.

William Dean Polking was born July 6, 1925 in Carroll, Iowa. He lived on his family's farm outside of Breda, Iowa until November 1940 when his family moved into Carroll. He graduated from Carroll High School in May of 1942. Dean was only 16 when he graduated as he had skipped a grade in his early elementary years. One of his first jobs after high school was working in the office and as a salesman (on bicycle) for Western Grocer Co. in Carroll. He then began clerking for the Farmers Sale Co., also known as "the Sale Barn".

On Dean's 18th birthday, he enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Corps during WWII. He began in the aviation cadet program at Texas Tech University and was assigned as a cryptographer. Dean was stationed at various bases in Texas, California, Illinois, North Carolina, Indiana, the Hawaiian Islands and Okinawa. On Okinawa, he was chief of the message center and head cryptographer of his troop carrier squadron encoding and decoding classified communications. Upon discharge in Okinawa in April of 1946, he was offered a commission to West Point which he declined in order to return to his home in Iowa and help his dad at the Sale Barn. He also joined the VFW and became a lifetime member.

After discharge, Dean attended Creighton University where he graduated from in June 1949 with a degree in Commerce. To help with expenses while attending Creighton, he drove a taxi in Omaha and also hitchhiked home to Carroll on weekends to help his dad in the sale barn. After college graduation he began employment with the Internal Revenue Service until 1980. He "retired" and then worked with the Webster County Sheriff's Department from January 1981 until January 2006, finally really retiring at the age of 81. Dean was a Special Deputy in the Civil Process Division and served over 100,000 legal notices in Webster County during his tenure.

Dean was married to Lois Ann Baumhover on April 11, 1950 at St. Peter and Paul's Catholic Church in Carroll. He is survived by his seven children: Karen Lipman (Stu) of Castle Rock, Colorado; Melanie Vogt (Tom) of Fort Dodge; Nora Kokinis (Dean) of Glenview, Illinois; Molly Baker (Dave) Fort Dodge; Heidi Larsen of Storm Lake, Iowa; Kris Venturini (Larry) of Alameda, California and Mark Polking of Cedar Rapids, Iowa. He is also survived by ten grandchildren, Meighan Farmer (Paul), Lindsay Vogt, Ryan Vogt (Emily); Denise Kokinis, Beth Baker, Katie Kelly(Zach), Christopher Larsen, Mark Venturini and Anne Venturini; also seven great grandchildren Damian Bargas, Valerie, Vivienne and Vera Vogt, Atlas and Leo Kelly, and Remy Holihan. Dean was preceded in death by Lois Polking, a son David John, grandsons Tony Lipman and Kyle Baker, sons-in-law Stu Lipman and Larry Venturini, and parents AJ and Elsie Polking.

A lifelong enthusiast of history, politics and especially sports, Dean was an avid supporter of all the athletic teams of the University of Iowa and was a diehard Hawkeye football fan. He was an officer of the I Club in Fort Dodge during the Evashevski era in the 1950's. He prided himself on being a lifelong learner and valued the importance of education. He was an early member of the school board of the newly opened St. Edmond High School (SE). He drove countless SE athletic team members to sporting events before the purchase of school buses and also outfitted SE teams several times with new uniforms when SE athletics was in its infancy. In his later years, Dean was instrumental in providing seed money for the installation of air conditioning at St. Edmond.

Even in his late years, Dean's memory was remarkable; he delighted in recounting scores of 50's Hawkeye football, naming all the Presidents in chronological order or reciting complete verses of Poe, Tennyson or Longfellow to anyone who would listen. Dean was curious, compassionate and kind. He will be remembered for his sense of humor, his generosity, a strong work ethic but most of all his love for his children, grandchildren and great grandchildren. He lived every moment to the fullest; he generously shared with us his wisdom and charmed us with his wit; he will be missed by all who had the pleasure of knowing him. "The Dean" has left the building.

The family would like to thank the staff of the Hospice Home for their kind and compassionate care of Dean while he was with them. Memorials may be left to the Paula J. Baber Hospice Home, Holy Trinity Parish, VFW Post 1856 or to the discretion of the family.