Steven Slater

Steven Slater, 63, of Winterset, passed away Friday, July 31, 2015 at home. Visitation will be held from 1:00 to 8:00 p.m., Wednesday, August 5 at Ochiltree Funeral Service in Winterset; where family will be present to receive friends from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m. Funeral services will be held at 10:30 a.m., Thursday, August 6 at Ochiltree’s with burial to follow in the Winterset Cemetery. Memorials may be directed to the family. Steven Eugene Slater was born July 25, 1952 in Madison County, Iowa to Dalton and Mina Jean (DeVault) Slater. He attended school in Winterset and graduated from Winterset High School in 1971. He went on to attend college at DMACC and majored in Mechanical Drafting. On June 13, 1974, he married Jo Ann Debra Gering in Des Moines. Steve worked for EIW LLC (Eagle Iron Works) in Des Moines where he was the Director of Sales and Customer Service. He was previously a Territory Sales Manager for Kent Automotive, a division of Lawson Products. Steve was very active in Boy Scouting locally and with the Mid-Iowa Council. During his many years of volunteering, Steve was involved with the Bo Qui District where he served as Camping and Activity Chair, was a District Committee Member and Eagle Board Member. He also led the District and individual units in planning and holding several camporees and was the recipient of the Silver Beaver Award (Recipients of this award are registered adult leaders who have made an impact on the lives of youth through service given to the council). He was also an active volunteer at Camp Mitigwa, an Iowa based scouting camp near Woodward, Iowa along the Des Moines River, where he planned and led the restoration of the Flaming Arrow Cabin. He also served as a Camp Master, Camp Scheduler, Woodcutter and directed and participated in numerous other activities. Steve was also an Order of the Arrow recipient of the Mitigwa Lodge and Vigil Honor and had received the Wood Badge and Buffalo Patrol distinctions. When not working or volunteering for Boy Scouts, Steve enjoyed making home improvements and remodeling their home. In fact, he recently finished a deck renovation and had been enjoying this improvement. He also did roofing on the side and many folks have benefited from these efforts. He was very handy and one could say he was a jack-of-all-trades. He enjoyed golfing, traveling with friends, but most of all he enjoyed spending time with his family, especially his kids and grandchildren. Steve is survived by his wife of 40 years, Jo Ann Slater; mother, Mina Jean Slater both of Winterset; daughter, Sara (Trent) Coleman of Clive; son, Joseph ‘Jes’ Slater of Winterset (currently serving in the United States Coast Guard in Bahrain); brother, Robert (Debbie) Slater of Des Moines and three grandchildren, Dylan, Elizabeth and Izabella. He was preceded in death by his father, Dalton Slater and grandparents, Orla and Stella DeVault and Roy and Iola Slater.