Dean Iverson

Dean E. Iverson, age 92 of Stanton, passed away on Saturday, March 7, 2020 at Spectrum Health United Campus in Greenville.

As a young man fresh out of high school, Dean enlisted in the Army and was quickly shipped overseas to serve in the final days and the aftermath of World War II. He spent a little over two years attached to the 42nd Infantry Division, first in France, then in Southern Germany, and ending in Austria. Most of his duties after the war were to help manage the chaos of millions of displaced persons who were scattered throughout the wrecked countries of Europe.

Like many ex-GIs, when his term in the Army ended, Dean returned to the United States and took advantage of the GI Bill to pursue a college education. In 1953, he graduated with a degree in journalism from Michigan State. His search for work landed him in southern Michigan, where became a reporter and columnist for the Hillsdale Daily News. It was there at the newspaper that he noticed the pretty secretary who worked in the Advertising Department. Carmella was the daughter of Sicilian immigrants, and she and Dean quickly fell in love: she was the lively little Italian girl from the Little Italy settlement down by the railroad tracks; and he was the tall, slender, blonde Scandinavian man from northern Michigan. They eventually married and had two children: Kurt and Lori.

Fate took another turn when one of Dean’s trusted friends in Hillsdale urged him to pursue a job in criminal justice as a probation officer. When he accepted the job, his new assignment placed him in a small county seat he had never heard of before: Stanton. It turned out Dean was a good fit for the job. He was an excellent listener, a good judge of character, and a fair man who was well-grounded in common sense and compassion. He soon earned the respect of his colleagues, including several judges and district attorneys. His most fulfilling achievements were when he helped troubled persons turn their lives around.

More good fortune allowed him to acquire his log home on Stoney Lake, where he and Carmella settled and continued to raise their family. Dean found great personal comfort in the quiet serenity of the natural world, and at his home on the secluded lake he could connect with it every day, right up to the end. He continued to reside there, living independently, for 57 years.

Dean had many friends. These kind, good-humored, and generous people enriched and sustained his life, especially in his later years. He was eternally grateful for the humanity they shared with him, as are Lori and Kurt.

Surviving Dean is his daughter, Lori (Chris Harder) Iverson of Jackson, Wyoming; son, Kurt (Becky) Iverson; granddaughter, Anna Iverson; grandson, Nick Iverson all of Juneau, Alaska; sisters Georgeann Shiels of Lansing and Cathryn (Keith) Rupert of Bear Lake.

Dean was preceded in death by his parents, George & Florence (Anderson) Iverson; wife, Carmella Iverson; and one sister.

A celebration of Dean’s life is being planned for a later date. An announcement regarding the date, time, and location of Dean’s celebration of life will be posted on the Simpson Family Funeral Homes website and Facebook page later.

For those wanting to make a memorial donation in Dean’s memory the family suggests you direct them to either the Friends of Fred Meijer Heartland Trail or the Upper Manistee River Association. Dean’s wishes were to also encourage anyone wanting to honor him to plant a tree or two in the location of their choice.