Steve Derry, 72, of Perry passed away Wednesday, March 27, 2019, at Mercy Medical Center in Des Moines, Iowa.
A Celebration of Life Service will be held Saturday, April 6 at 7 p.m. at the Perry Elks Lodge. Memorials may be given to the Pony Express and may be left at the Carris Family Funeral Home and Cremation Care. Online condolences may be sent at www.carrisfuneralhome.com.
Steven Dean Derry was born Feb. 4, 1947, in Boone, Iowa, to Dudley Ray and MaryAlice (Rose) Derry.
He attended school in Grimes and Johnston and graduated from Dallas Center High School.
Steve served in the U.S. Coast Guard from March 1966 to March 1970 and was stationed in Kodiak, Alaska, and Houston, Texas.
He was united in marriage to Alice at Tomball, Texas, at her parents’ home Jan. 18, 1970. To this union two children were born, Eric in February 1972 and Taunya in June 1974.
Steve worked at the Grimes Canning Factory, Oscar Mayer, NC + Seed Hybrids and finished his career at Wiese Industries.
He was a member of the Pony Express Riders of Iowa and the Perry Saddle Club. He loved riding and training mules and horses, making saddle and tack repairs, going to horse sales, dancing, reading and being “Granpa.”
Steve was preceded in death by his parents, Dudley and MaryAlice; and brothers-in-law, Lee Cummings and Donald Yeats.
Left to cherish Steve’s memory are his wife, Alice Derry of Perry; children, Eric (Amber Green) Derry of Perry and Taunya (Steve) Todd of Lake Park, Minn.; grandchildren, Tyler, Shane and Kaitlyn Todd; siblings, Craig (Pat) Derry, Jane Derry and Brian (Penny) Derry; sister-in-law, Dorothy Yeats; brothers-in-law, Albert Cummings and Arthur (Marilyn) Cummings; and many nieces and nephews.
