Gaylord Guyer

Gaylord Lawrence Guyer, 74, of West Union, Iowa, passed away on March 19, 2018 at Allen Memorial Hospital surrounded by his loving family. 

Services were held Saturday, March 24, at West Union United Methodist Church.

Inurnment will be held at a later date. 

Gaylord was born on Oct. 1, 1943, to Lawrence and Rosina Guyer. He grew up on the farm with his siblings Leona Harris, Mary Jacobsen, James Guyer, LaVanda Meyer and LaVonne Bemiss. 

He attended the Dover #5 one-room schoolhouse – the last existing schoolhouse in Iowa – and North High School in West Union, Iowa.  After high school, Gaylord earned his Lab Tech Certification at Brown Institute in Minneapolis, Minn. 

On Oct. 11, 1964, he married Patricia Carol Paulsen.  They were blessed with two children, Christopher James and Trisha Ann Davis. 

Gaylord married Kathleen Dianne Kern on May 29, 1976.  Gaylord and Kathy were blessed with three children, Jason Lawrence, Heidi Jo Komorech, and Joshua Kern.  

Through the years, Gaylord explored many vocations, including x-ray technician, animal testing lab technician, farmer, and 25 years as a meter reader, appliance repairman, and lineman at Interstate Power Company.  He also had his own saw-sharpening business and computer building and repair business.  

His insatiable curiosity led to many hobbies and interests as well, including model airplanes, remote control cars, riding motorcycles, woodworking, building and repairing computers, and teaching Sunday School.  He did the electrical wiring in several homes and built custom cabinets.  

He was a self-taught computer technician. He wrote the computer programs for West Union Cemetery and West Union Aquatic Center. He also wrote his own invoice program for his own GuyCom Computers business.  When the West Union Library received a grant for its first computer lab, Gaylord was the one who set up all the computers. 

Even from a young age, Gaylord was always taking things apart to see how they worked. He took apart clocks, motors, computers – even the steering wheel of an old pickup.  And he always figured out how to put them back together again.  

Gaylord was an avid reader, consuming thousands of books of various kinds – from technical manuals to science fiction and fantasy novels to heartwarming love stories. It wasn’t long after retiring that Gaylord had read just about every book in the library.  

If anyone had the great privilege of knowing Gaylord, they knew that he didn’t like crowds, and he loathed the spotlight. However, if you could sit down with him over a cup of coffee, you would experience his undivided attention, a smiling face, and deep conversation. He was a man of stubborn integrity. There was nothing you could talk him into that he didn’t want to do, and if you asked his opinion or advice, you knew you would get honesty. 

Gaylord’s unpretentious manner and loving acceptance made him the cherished friend, husband, brother, and father we all love. We will all miss him terribly.  

Gaylord Guyer is survived by his wife, four siblings, five children, six grandchildren, three great-grandchildren, and many nieces and nephews.  

He is preceded in death by his parents, sister Mary, and niece Elizabeth Meyer.  

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be sent to the Friends of the Library of West Union.          13u13