Earl L. Kotz

     Earl L. Kotz, 95, of Clear Lake, died Friday, July 5, 2013 at the Oakwood Care Center in Clear Lake.                                                      

     Per Earl’s wishes, cremation rites have been accorded and a memorial service will be held 2 p.m., Tuesday, July 16, 2013 at Zion Lutheran Church, 112 N. 4th Street, Clear Lake, with the Rev. Dean Hess

 officiating.  Inurnment will follow the service in the Clear Lake Cemetery where full military honors will be provided by the Clear Lake V.F.W. Post 4868. The family will greet friends one hour prior to the memorial service at the church on Tuesday.

     Should friends desire, memorials may be made to the National Parkinson Foundation, Gift Processing Center, P.O. Box 5018, Hagerstown, MD  21741 or to the Clear Lake Yacht Club Sailing School, P.O. Box 29, Clear Lake, Iowa  50428.

     Earl L. Kotz, son of Louis and Tilda Ashland Kotz, was born April 6, 1918 in Clear Lake.  He was baptized and confirmed at Zion Lutheran Church and attended school in Clear Lake.  Earl was drafted into the United States Army in September of 1943.  Shortly thereafter, he was united in marriage to Dolores Meyer on June 3, 1944 in Texas.  Earl served in World War II before being honorably discharged in March of 1946.  

     Earl and Dolores made their home in Mason City for many years before moving to Clear Lake in 1995.  He owned and operated the Mason City Hatchery, raising chickens and turkeys, along with being involved in daily farm operations raising grain, cattle, and hogs.  Earl was a dedicated agriculturalist and never officially retired, as he helped his boys with farming.

     Earl was an avid outdoorsman. He took many fishing trips to Canada and Iowa trout fishing.  He loved hunting; one unforgettable hunt was his five roosters with five shots with his son and brother-in law.  Earl pioneered water skiing kite flying in the Clear Lake area.  Golfing, snow skiing, and taking his Cris-Craft out on the water were also favorite past-times.  Earl also enjoyed world travel seeing many different countries over the years.

     He was involved with Clear Lake Yacht Club for several years serving as a judge and was a member of the Mason City Country Club.  Earl was very active in the churches, serving on the Trinity Lutheran Church Board of Trustees in Mason City in past years and was a member of Zion Lutheran Church in Clear Lake.

     He is survived by his wife of 69 wonderful years, Dolores Kotz, Clear Lake; three children, Dennis (Tanya) Kotz  and Randy (Dianne) Kotz, both of Clear Lake, and Krismar Kotz, Mason City; three grandchildren, Ashley (Jason) Stokke, Clear Lake,  Nathan Kotz, Minneapolis, Minn.,  and Colette Kotz, Clear Lake; one great-grandson, Ayden Stokke, Clear Lake; brother, Edward Kotz, Grinnell, Iowa; sister, Doris Creager, Florence, Ore.; and his sister-in-law, Janice Waldron, Winter Park, Colo.; along with many nieces and nephews. 

     He was preceded in death by his parents; two daughters in infancy; brothers, Stanley and Wilbur; and his sister, Mabelle Roben.   

     Ward Van Slyke Colonial Chapel, Clear Lake, was in charge of arrangements.