William Sylvester Head

William Sylvester Head was born October 11, 1936 at his home in Hawesville, Kentucky to William and Carmel Louise Johnson Head. He died January 16, 2014 at the Creighton University Medical Center in Omaha, Nebraska at the age of seventy-seven.
Sylvester was baptized into faith at the St. Lawrence Church in Philpot, Kentucky on October 17, 1936 and celebrated his First Communion in the Spring of 1943. In the first years of his life Sylvester lived with his paternal grandparents in Kentucky until February 1939 when his family moved to Iowa. He started school in Sergeant Bluff, Iowa, attended several other Iowa schools, and graduated from Dow City Community Schools, in 1954. After graduation he attended Jesuit College in Minnesota.
On May 5, 1956, Sylvester was united in marriage to Grace Lahr at the St. Mary’s Catholic church in Dow City, Iowa. The couple settled on a farm east of Dunlap for one year, before moving to Gilbert Arizona, where they made their home for two years. They then moved to the Dow City area where they farmed until 1977, at which time they made their home in Dow City. The couple was blessed with the birth of seven children. Grace passed away in 1999.
On January 6, 2001, Sylvester was united in marriage to Marlene Petersen at St. Boniface in Charter Oak, Iowa. He had several hobbies over the years including: playing cards; camping at Lake View, he had a trailer in Dixieland Court for about six years; going to the casino; traveling with friends; spending time with his family; wintering in Texas; traveling to Kentucky and Oklahoma to visit family. He was also a member of St. Mary Church in Dow City. Preceding him in death were his father; his first wife, Grace; one son, Gregory Head; and two grandsons: Jason Meseck and Wesley Head. Survivors include his wife, Marlene of Dow City; his mother, Carmel Head of Dunlap; five sons: John Head and his wife, Lori of Ghent, Minnesota; Jim Head of Newton; Dan Head and his wife, Carla of Manilla; Doug Head and his wife, Julie of Dow City; Mark Head and his wife, Jodi of Denison; one daughter, Cindy Mengwasser and her husband, Jeff of Denison; two step-children: Kevin Petersen and his wife, Elisabeth of Dunlap, Iowa; Kurt Petersen and his wife, Kris of Onawa, Iowa; two brothers: Patrick Head and his wife, Marilyn of Peyton Colorado; Tom Head and his wife, Pat of Dow City; two sisters: Elizabeth (Betty) McKnight and her husband, Roger of Tahlequah, Oklahoma; Noel Lahr and her husband, Butch of Grove, Oklahoma; seventeen grandchildren: Josh, Jake, Tena, Scott, Kristen, Adam, Brandon, Luke, Johnathon, Jered, Matt, Nicholas, Nathan, Cana, Kody, Alex, McKenzie; sixteen great-grandchildren: Kaele, Briana, Morgan, Sylvia, Caleb, Madi, Jordan, Jase, Carly, Rylie, Landon, Briella, Gage, Kambri, Sainey, Sheriff; many other relatives and friends.