Gael "Bud" Ebert

September 29, 1933 - April 29, 2018

Gael A.“Bud” Ebert, Knoxville, Iowa, passed away, April 29, 2018, at 1:00 p.m., at the Comfort House in Pella, Iowa, surrounded by his family. Bud was born September 29, 1933, in Marshalltown, Iowa, to Amelia F. (Hasselbrink) and G. A. Ebert. He grew up on a farm north of Kellogg, Iowa and graduated from Kellogg High School in 1952. He attended Central College of Pella and was drafted into the U.S. Army in 1953. He was a member of the U.S. Army Signal Corps and President Eisenhower’s Honor Guard. He married Janet Breckenridge on December 21, 1954, in Kellogg. They were blessed with three children: Denise, Randy and Rusty. They lived in Laurel, MD, and moved to Kellogg after he was honorably discharged in 1955. Bud was employed by the USDA working for the ASCS grain storage division in Jasper County, Iowa, and then was a tool and die maker for Midwest Metal Stamp Company, of Kellogg. In 1966, he became a Rural Letter Mail Carrier with the United States Postal Service in Kellogg. In 1973, he transferred to Knoxville, Iowa. He retired from the USPS in1996 after a 30-year career. Bud was a boy scout leader, a member of the Kellogg Fire and Rescue and coached Little League and Babe Ruth teams in Kellogg and Knoxville. He was a follower of Jesus Christ and a member of Trinity Lutheran Church, Knoxville, where he served as an elder and sang in the choir. Bud was also a lifelong member of the Knoxville Lions Club, where he served as the past president. Bud enjoyed attending the sprint car races at the Knoxville Raceway and started and operated a booth for 40 years, raising money for the Knoxville Lions Club. He was selected Knoxville Raceway Fan of the Year. He was also a 50-year member of the Rural Letter Carriers Association. Bud enjoyed cheering for the Iowa State Cyclones and Chicago Cubs. He was preceded in death by his parents, two sisters, Joyce Parsons and Chris Lehfeld; two sisters-in-law Janice Stewart and Kathryn Breckenridge; four brothers-in-law, Charles Lehfeld, Russ Parsons, Roger Stewart, Mark VanderPloeg and a great-great nephew, Inde Elgersma. Remaining to cherish his memory are his wife, Janet, of Knoxville, his daughter, Denise (Randy) Emal, Knoxville, Randy (Sheryl) Ebert, Des Moines and Rusty (Melody) Ebert, Keosauqua, Iowa; two granddaughters, Dr. LeeAnn (Josh) Huff, and Leslie (Cody) Mecham, four great-grandchildren: Hank Huff, Clay Mecham, Duke Huff and Jolee Huff; two sisters, Carmen (Bill) Gill, Kellogg and Carol VanderPloeg, Pella, and one brother- in- law, Darl Breckinridge and nieces and nephews. Visitation will begin Thursday, May 3, at 3:00, at Trinity Lutheran Church, family present from 6-8 p.m. A funeral service will be on Friday, May 4, at 10:30 at Trinity Lutheran Church. Burial with military rites will be held at 1:30 P.M. at Our Silent City Cemetery, Kellogg. Immediately following burial a coffee time will be held at the Amboy Grange in Kellogg. A memorial has been established in Bud’s memory to Trinity Lutheran Church, Knoxville Lion’s Club, KRCO, and the Kellogg Historical Museum. The Winfield Funeral Home is assisting Bud’s family with services. Online condolences can be sent to www.winfieldfh.com.