Peter "Pete" Delfs, 79, Luverne, died Thursday, July 24, 2003, at Luverne Community Hospital following a long illness. Services were Monday, July 28, at American Reformed Church in Luverne. The Rev. David Sikkema officiated. Burial with military honors was at Eastside Cemetery in Steen. Peter Henry Delfs was born to Henry and Anna (Holmer) Delfs on Aug. 3, 1923, in Suderstapel, Germany. He moved with his family to the United States when he was 14 months old and settled near Hinton, Iowa, where he grew up and attended school. The family moved to a farm northwest of Rock Rapids, Iowa, when he was 16 and in the years to follow, he worked as a farm hand. He married Dorothy Bosch on March 11, 1943, in Steen. He was inducted into the U.S. Army in January 1944. At the time of his induction, he was still a citizen of Germany but became a naturalized citizen of the United States shortly thereafter. Because of his German heritage he served in the Pacific Theater rather than in Europe. He rose to the rank of Staff Sergeant as a heavy machine gunner. He served in the invasion of Luzon and spent more than 130 days fighting on the front lines before being wounded from a hand grenade blast. He spent six months in Fitzsimmons General Hospital in Denver, Colo., recovering from his wounds. He was honorably discharged, receiving the Purple Heart and Bronze Star decorations. He operated an independent trucking and corn shelling operation for many years. The family moved to Albert Lea in 1964 where he was trained as a federal meat inspector. He also lived in Worthington before moving to Luverne in 1976. He worked as an inspector of packinghouses before retiring in the mid 1980s. In October 2002 he was diagnosed with cancer and had a lung removed. He became a patient of Luverne Hospice on July 23. Mr. Delfs was a member of American Reformed Church in Luverne, the Luverne VFW, Valley Springs American Legion and the Disabled American Veterans. He enjoyed his daily trips to see his buddies at the coffee shop along with playing pinochle at Steen Senior Citizens Center. His other interests included NASCAR racing, gospel music events and his weekly swimming workout at the Rock County Community Pool. Survivors include his wife, Dorothy Delfs, Luverne; three daughters, Janice (Duane) Klosterbuer, Steen, and twin daughters, Meredeth Timmerman, Indianapolis, Ind., and Marlene Delfs, Rochester; five grandchildren; eight great-grandchildren; two brothers, Raymond and Gary Delfs, both of Rock Rapids, and three sisters, Margaret LeFrenz, Rock Rapids, Phyllis Wildeman, Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and Eunice McCarty, Larchwood, Iowa. Mr. Delfs was preceded in death by his parents and two brothers, Alvin and Adrian.The Luverne Community Hospital Hospice will plant a tree in memory of Pete Delfs.Roste Funeral Home, Hills, was in charge of arrangements.
