Besse E. Guhl

Besse Evelyn Guhl, daughter of William and Besse (McClellan) Stueart was born at Bredenbury, Saskatchewan, Canada, November 3, 1918, and died Tuesday, October 13, 2009 at the Crawford County Memorial Hospital in Denison, Iowa, at the age of 90 years, 11 months and 10 days. The family, her parents and her younger sister, Grace, moved to Denison, Iowa in the fall of 1923. She started school in the second semester as a half year student, and graduated from the Denison High School in 1936. She began her employment with Gamble Skogmo, Inc. in September that same year, first in the Denison store. Three years later she was transferred to their store in Fort Madison, Iowa, then to a new warehouse in Washington, Missouri as head billing clerk. After a period of about two years, she heard the bookkeeper in Denison was leaving so she asked to be able to return to her hometown. A year later she was transferred to the larger store in Fort Dodge. Here she met Richard Guhl, home on leave from the U.S. Navy during WWII. They were married on April 6, 1944 at St. Paul?s Lutheran Church in Fort Dodge. They resided in Norfolk, Virginia until November 3, 1944 when Richard was discharged. They returned to Iowa to live in Denison. They were blessed with four children, Avis (1946), David (1950), Teresa (1955), Colette Jo (1957), six grandchildren, Tim and Sean McDermott, Josh Guhl, Danielle and Alexandra Lawless and Philip Keairnes and three great grandchildren, Natalee Riechert, T.J. McDermott and Madeline McDermott. Besse was a member of the United Presbyterian Church, Denison, and was the church secretary over thirty years, retiring in 1986. During those years she worked for five pastors and two interims. In her youth, she was a member of the International Order of Rainbow for Girls and later served as the Mother Advisor for five years. She was a Church School teacher for many years, served as Moderator of the Presbyterian Women for several terms as well as being the secretary and the treasurer and a circle chairman at different times. In addition to her church activities, Besse served as a Girl Scout leader for many years and was a long time member of the O.E.S. and was a Past Matron of the Sylvan Chapter, Denison. Besse and Dick loved to square dance and served as presidents of the Denison Club one term. She also liked to cook, play cards, read, sew, knit, embroider until she could no longer see to do so easily, and especially cherished time spent with her family. After her eyesight failed she became a member and officer of the visually impaired support group. Besse was preceded in death by her husband, Richard W. Guhl, March 25, 2001, her beloved parents, father in 1960, mother in 1972, her sister, Avis Iversen (Mrs. Richard) 1976 and her brothers, James Steuart in 1996 and William Steuart, 2006. Those remaining to cherish her memory include four children and their spouses, David and Coleen Guhl of Hutchinson, Minnesota, Avis and Richard McDermott of Lansdale, Pennsylvania, Teresa and Dennis Keairnes of Denison, Iowa and Colette Jo and Steve Lawless of Harlan, Iowa, six grandchildren, Tim McDermott and wife, Sheree of Arlington, Virginia, Sean McDermott and wife, Jami of Phoenixville, Pennsylvania, Josh Guhl and wife, Amy of Muscatine, Iowa, Danielle and husband, Greg Reichert of Raymore, Missouri, Alexandra Lawless of Harlan, Iowa, and Philip Keairnes of Denison, Iowa, three great grandchildren, Natalee Reichert of Raymore, Missouri, T.J. McDermott of Arlington, Virginia and Madeline McDermott of Phoenixville, Pennsylvania, one sister, Grace Keating of Denison, one sister-in-law, Mary Allen Steuart of Tacoma, Washington, nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends. Funeral services were held at 10:30 a.m., Saturday, October 17, 2009, at the United Presbyterian Church in Denison, Iowa, with the Rev. Ken Fells and the Rev. Harry L. Strong officiating. Music for the service included Sue Rosener singing "Battle Hymn of The Republic" and "Open My Eyes That I May See" and the Rev. Harry L. Strong singing "The Lord?s Prayer" with Ann Voggesser serving as organist. Bagpiper was Mike Manthorne. Those serving as pallbearers included David Guhl, Richard McDermott, Dennis Keairnes, Steve Lawless, Tim McDermott, Sean McDermott, Josh Guhl and Philip Keairnes. Interment was at the Oakland Cemetery, Denison, Iowa. Following the interment the family invited everyone to return to the church and join them in fellowship and a meal catered by Staley?s Catering, assisted by the United Presbyterian Women. The Pfannebecker Funeral Home, www.pfannebecker.com in Denison was in charge of arrangements. Memorials have been established to the American Cancer Society or American Heart Association.