Lee Branstetter

Lee Roy Ruel Branstetter, 90, of Winterset, passed away with his family by his side on Friday, December 17, 2021. Funeral service will be held at 1:30 p.m., Tuesday, December 21, 2021 at Caldwell Parrish Funeral Home, Winterset Chapel, 1823 N. John Wayne Dr. Winterset, Iowa 50273. Burial will take place in the Winterset Cemetery. Memorials may be donated to EveryStep Hospice for the wonderful care they provided Lee. Online condolences may be left to the family at www.caldwellparrish.com. Lee was born on December 19, 1930 to Ruel and Lola (Koehler) Branstetter in Cushing, Oklahoma. Lee was enlisted into the United States Air Force at a young age. He said the highlight of his time enlisted was that he got to climb Mt. Fuji while on duty in Japan. He went on to graduate from Oklahoma State University with a degree in mechanical engineering. He married Ruth Tippit on August 19, 1956 in Drumright, OK. Lee would end up getting a job at Convair in Fort Worth, TX and he would travel back and forth between there and Oklahoma. Lee then took a position in Seattle, WA working for Boeing for 2 years. After having enough of the Seattle rain, Lee took a job with Dow Chemical and the two moved to Colorado. He would work there for 13 years before moving on to work for IBM in Boulder, CO and eventually getting transferred to Austin, TX. Lee retired from IBM in 1993 and he and Ruth moved back to Colorado for 18 years before moving to Winterset, IA in 2015. In his early years, Lee was a member of the Masonic Lodge, following in his father’s footsteps. Lee enjoyed being outdoors and going on hikes. He loved the mountain top views while living in Colorado. He and Ruth would go on many hikes together, many including Lee carrying the kids on his back. He also loved to tend to his garden, growing many summer vegetables. Lee took pride in his ability for woodworking and hand tool carpentry. Woodworking wasn’t the only handmade craft he was good at, as he learned how to quilt with his wife. The two spent much of their time quilting and enjoying their time together. Overall Lee was a devoted family man. His family always came first and he did whatever it took to support them. Lee is survived by his wife of 65 years, Ruth; son, Kevin (Teresa) Branstetter of Waukee, IA; daughter, Marcia Branstetter of Oakridge, TN; and grandchildren, Sydney and Ethan Branstetter, both of Waukee, IA. He was preceded in death by his parents, Ruel and Lola Branstetter.