Dean Houck, 89, of Branson, Missouri, formerly of Van Wert and Leon, died Monday, May 20, 2019, in Branson, Missouri.
He was born May 15, 1930, the first of 10 children of Elmer and Ruth Houck of Van Wert. After graduating from Van Wert High School, he took work where he could find it, from local jobs to a mining gig in Utah. He was drafted into the Army during the Korean War, but sent to serve in Italy.
Dean married Alta McKee in 1954 in Grand River, and they lived and worked in Des Moines while he attended college. He worked at a John Deere plant, drove a bread truck and ran a drugstore, among other things, before graduating from Drake University in 1959. He taught high school math and business courses in New Sharon and Murray. He eventually started a bookkeeping, tax and insurance service in Van Wert, and lived there for many years until moving to Leon in the 1990s. He handled tax returns for generations of local residents before retiring. Even in retirement, he worked for a tax service in Florida and did night audits at a motel in Branson, Missouri.
Dean is survived by his wife of 65 years, Alta, of Branson, Missouri; his children, Arlin Houck of Branson, Missouri, Tracy Houck of Iowa Falls, Larisa Houck of Carthage, Missouri, Ramona Houck of Lexington, Virginia, Donovan Houck of Tucson, Arizona, and Katey Houck of Buckingham; and his grandchildren, Drew Zimmerman of Seattle, Washington, Devin and Drake Houck of Tucson, Arizona, Justice Henson of Crystal Lakes, Missouri, Raven Henson of Wood Heights, Missouri, and Jordan Filloon of Iowa Falls. Also surviving are his siblings, Dena Fulton of Osceola, Dennis Houck of Weldon, Barbara Merrick of Cedar Rapids, Dale Houck of St. Cloud, Florida, and Daryl Houck of California.
He was preceded in death by his parents and his siblings, Beverly Johnson, Bonita Edwards, Donald Houck and Duane Houck.
A memorial service will be held at a later date.
