Dr. Everett A. Nitzke

Dr. Everett Nitzke was born in Storm Lake, Iowa on December 13, 1921. He lived on a farm near Varina, Iowa until his father died, when Everett was four years old. He attended public schools in Storm Lake, graduating in 1939. He attended Iowa State College with a graduation date of 1943. He participated in ROTC while in college and upon graduation entered active military duty. He was trained as an artillery officer and served for several years with a long-range artillery unit. By 1944 the need for infantry officers was such that he was sent to the Army Infantry School. After graduation he transferred to parachute training with assignment to the 82nd Airborne Division. He participated in military action in North Germany until the war ended and also assisted in the liberation of a concentration camp.

He entered medical school in 1946 at the University of Iowa, where he met Elizabeth (Betty) Barry, who was in nursing school. They married in 1949 and both graduated in 1950. They moved to Detroit, Michigan where he served an internship at Harper Hospital in Detroit. After completing his internship, he began pediatric training at Children’s Hospital of Michigan, also in Detroit. After his general pediatric training he studied for an extra year, also at Children’s, in pediatric pathology.

He began solo pediatric practice in Des Moines in 1954 and was joined by George Caudill, M.D. He continued to practice pediatrics until 1996 and then assumed a position as a Disability Consultant with the State of Iowa, retiring in 2011.

He is survived by his wife, Betty; 4 children, John Nitzke, Peggy (Steve) Forrester, Anne Nitzke, and Carol (Tim) Moroney. He was a grandfather to 6 grandchildren, Gabriel Forrester, Julia Thompson, David Forrester, Christine Nitzke, and Connor and Caitlyn Moroney. He is also survived by his brother, Dr. Ronald Dierwechter of Storm Lake, Iowa; sister, Tanya Nichols of Chantilly, VA; and 2 great grandchildren, Joselyn Forrester and Jasper Thompson.

Visitation will be held at Hamilton’s on Westown Parkway, 3601 Westown Parkway in West Des Moines on Friday, December 27, 2013 from 5 to 7 p.m. The funeral service will take place Saturday, December 28, 2013 at 2 p.m. also at Hamilton’s with burial at Glendale Cemetery.

The family requests that memorials be directed to Blank Children’s Hospital Unity Point Health in Des Moines.

Condolences may be expressed at:
www.HamiltonsFuneralHome.com

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