Lewis Chapman

Funeral Services: Will be held on Thursday, January 5, 2017, at 10:30 a.m. at the Massena United Methodist Church in Massena with burial in the Massena Center Cemetery. Full military graveside rites will be conducted by the Anita American Legion Post No. 210. Pastor Mark Millikan will officiate the service. A luncheon will be held at the church following the services at the cemetery.  

Open Visitation: Will be held on Wednesday, January 4th, at the Steen Funeral Home in Massena from 2:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. 

Family Visitation: The family will greet friends on Wednesday evening from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at the Steen Funeral Home in Massena. 

Memorials: To the Lewis Chapman memorial fund to be established by the family at a later date. 

Lewis Edward Chapman was born in Wiota, Iowa, on July 22, 1925, to Henry and Hattie Etta (Gary) Chapman. He passed away on Monday, December 26, 2016, at his home in Wiota, Iowa, at the age of 91.

Lewis was one of ten children and was raised and went to school in the Massena area. After he graduated from school, he worked with his father farming and at the lumber yard in Massena. He joined the Air Force in March of 1952 and was stationed at Ellsworth Air Force base in Rapid City, South Dakota. Lewis was sent to Korea after basic training and received an honorable discharge after four years of service. Helen May Mennes had caught his attention while in South Dakota and the two were married on January 19, 1954. After his tour of duty Lewis and Helen moved to the Massena area and started farming. They raised three girls, Debbie, Etta and Sharie. After farming for a few years Lewis and Helen moved to Florida for a while but returned to Iowa where he worked for the Cass County Landfill until his retirement in 1991. Lewis and Helen lived in the town of Wiota after his retirement.

He was a life member and past commander at the American Legion Post No. 210 in Anita, Iowa and enjoyed helping with bingo on Saturday nights. He enjoyed hunting, fishing and helping his son-in-law Joel farm and was the biggest prankster around, he certainly had a great sense of humor.

He was preceded in death by his parents; wife, Helen Chapman; daughter, Etta Griffin; grandson, Adam McCurdy; great granddaughter, Haleigh Griffin; brothers, Ernie, Clyde, Cloude and Andrew; sisters, Dorothea Eden, Bonnie Nelson, Thelma Hatfield, Cora Alice Meyers and Grace Boos.

He is survived by his two daughters, Debbie Grimes and husband Kenny of Wiota and Sharie McCurdy and husband Joel of Massena; seven grandchildren; sixteen great grandchildren; sister-in-law, Betty Chapman of Massena; brother-in-law, Virgil Boos of Cumberland; other relatives and friends.