Lester Harold Gosselink, the son of Edward and Gertrude (Ver Steegh) Gosselink, was born Mar. 30, 1942 at his home in New Sharon. At the age of 80 years, on Apr. 13, 2022, Lester passed away in his sleep at Montezuma Specialty Care where he had lived since leaving New Sharon. A graveside service, with his ashes, will begin at 2 p.m. Saturday afternoon, June 4, at Friends Cemetery in New Sharon. Memorial contributions may made to the Specialty Care Hospice and sent to the Holland-Coble Funeral Home, In Care of Lester Gosselink, P.O. Box 85, New Sharon, IA 50207.
Lester was born the youngest of eight children and was part of a loving family. He was surrounded by nieces and nephews as he grew up, and his family was very important to him. He enjoyed the gatherings – whether it was everyone home for Christmas, weekly visits to his sisters and home-cooked meals, or the annual Memorial Day Picnic at Edmundson Park. He could always be counted on to play games of all kinds from baseball and yard darts to Wahoo and Pitch, and he loved to laugh. In his years at Montezuma, he continued to enjoy activities and often found himself being the winner; he even became a bowler with Wii. He loved sitting outside, swinging in a porch swing and watching the cars go by. Over the years, Lester held various jobs. He worked at the New Sharon Bowling Alley, worked for both Junior Nash and Dale Stephens trucking operations, spent time at Vermeer, and mowed yards. He was ready to help someone if he could. Lester was a member of the Park Church of Christ in Oskaloosa, where he attended until his move to Montezuma. He was a kind and gentle soul and had a big heart. He recently talked about praying, and to the end, he found great comfort in singing hymns; on a recent visit he wanted to sing “Jesus Loves Me,” “Trust and Obey,” and “Amazing Grace.” He is no longer living alone – his Spirit is home with God.
He was preceded in death by his parents, his brother Donald (in infancy), his brother Harold, his brother Russell, his brother Robert, and his sister Donna DeJong.
He is survived by his sister Ruby DeYoung of Union Mills, his sister Marilyn (Wendell) Schultz of Fremont, and his sister-in-law Norma Gosselink of Grinnell, as well as many nephews and nieces.
