David J. Lydell
Funeral services for David J. Lydell, 72, of Alta, Iowa was 10:30 a.m. Saturday, July 20, at the Trinity Lutheran Church in Alta, Iowa, and Pastor Denise Parrello officiated. Visitation was one hour prior to the service at the church. Interment was in the Scandinavian Cemetery, rural Alta, Iowa, with military honors by the Alta VFW Post #6172.
David John Lydell was born Feb. 24, 1947, the son of Roy David and Donna Joanna (Rydstrom) Lydell, in Alta, Iowa. The first five years of his life were spent living on the tenant farm of his grandfather Emil Rydstrom, who his dad farmed with, east of Aurelia. When it was time to start school in Aurelia, David and his family moved to Aurelia. He attended school in Aurelia, graduating from the Aurelia High School in 1965.
He attended Nettleton Business Training College in Sioux City, studying accounting, and graduated in 1967. David did not know it at the time, but he was to meet his future wife, Darlene Hodges there. On Oct. 16, 1967, David enlisted in the Army, and served in Vietnam. Upon returning from Vietnam he was assigned to Ft. Hood, Texas. On Jan. 18, 1970, David and Darlene Phyllis Hodges of Carroll, Iowa, eloped and were married in a chapel at Fort Hood. He received his honorable discharge on Aug. 19, 1970.
In September 1970 David and Darlene moved to Minneapolis, Minn., where he attended Control Data Institute and graduated, having studied computer programming. He then began his accounting career, which spanned 27 years. They moved to Storm Lake, Iowa, in July 1971 where he worked for Vilas & Company in payroll and accounts payable. They also lived in Aurelia with his mother after his dad died in 1972. In May 1977 David joined the CPA firm of Ryun, Givens & Co. in Cherokee as an accountant. Soon David realized that a diploma in accounting would not be enough. He started taking night classes towards a degree in accounting through Buena Vista College in Storm Lake. In January 1978 he began his over 18 year career at Umthun Trucking Co. at Eagle Grove, Iowa, as an accountant. They were members of Holmes Lutheran Church in Holmes, Iowa. In May of 1979 David received his BA degree in accounting and business administration. In 1996 David started working for Genesis Development in Storm Lake as fiscal administrative manager. They moved back to Alta and rejoined Trinity Lutheran.
In May 1998 David was forced to change careers. He started working for Tyson Retail Deli in Cherokee as a multivac operator for the next eleven years. He retired from Tyson in May 2009.
He was a member of Trinity Lutheran Church, serving on the church council for nine years and as assistant chief usher. David and Darlene served as chairpersons of Meals on Wheels and Lord’s Cupboard for Trinity Lutheran after they retired, and he was on the call committee. David was also on the Alta Park board for four years. They took many trips to county and Iowa State fairs over the years. David and Darlene’s travels took them many places; including all 50 states, Canada, Mexico, Japan, the Philippians, Guam, South Vietnam, Australia, and Jamaica. They loved to travel.
David died Friday, July 12, 2019, at Creighton Bergan Hospital in Omaha, Neb.
Preceding David in death were his parents, an infant brother, and his wife Darlene on May 2, 2014.
Survivors include brothersin-law and sisters-in-law; Patrick and Kelly Murphy of Humphrey, Neb., Pam and Brian Faubion of Lincoln, Neb., Judy Thede of Apache Junction, Ariz., and David Murphy of Apache Junction, Ariz., cousins, nieces and nephews, and other relatives and friends.