In Memory of Leynn "Gene" Gibson

Leynn E. “Gene” Gibson, age 91, of Las Vegas, Nevada (formerly of Odebolt, Iowa), passed away on Friday, August 2, 2019, at the Coronado Heights of Las Vegas, Nevada.

A Celebration of Life Service for Anita and Leynn “Gene” Gibson will be held at 10:30 a.m., Friday, October 16, 2020, at the Trinity Lutheran Church of Odebolt, Iowa. Rev. David Viggers will officiate. The Christensen - Van Houten Funeral Home of Odebolt, Iowa, is in charge of the funeral arrangements. Condolences may be sent online at www.christensenvanhouten.com.

Leynn E. “Gene” Gibson was born July 16, 1928, in rural Odebolt, Iowa, to Fred Carter Gibson and Inez Maude (Cisney) Gibson. He was the youngest of 10 children. Gene graduated from Onawa High School in 1946. He honorably served in the U.S. Army from 1950-1952 where he was stationed in Fort Leonard Wood, MO.

On June 20, 1951, Gene was united in marriage to Beverly D. Witt. One daughter, Stephanie Kay, was born to the union. Gene worked 8 years for Maytag in Newton, Iowa. The family moved to Odebolt in 1960 where he owned and operated Gene’s Texaco. Gene and Beverly divorced in August 1972. On July 28, 1973, he was united in marriage to Anita M. (Schroeder) Flynn. They made their home in Odebolt, Iowa. He worked for the USPS for 27 years as a clerk and rural mail carrier. He retired in 1997. 

Gene had a huge garden with vegetables and flowers. He enjoyed family, fishing, golf, hunting pheasants and deer, and morel mushrooms in the spring. He loved taking his grandchildren fishing and mushroom hunting. He helped his grandson, Chris, learn to trap and later enjoyed being one of his biggest fans as he raced stock cars. 

Gene was a member of Trinity Lutheran Church in Odebolt and served in many positions. He also belonged to the Roose Post No. 313 of the American Legion of Odebolt. He and Anita enjoyed traveling with her siblings. He loved going with Stephanie and Michelle to see family in Tucson for several years. They also enjoyed an Alaskan cruise with a tour of Seattle and a trip to The Villages, Florida.  

The couple moved to Silver Ridge Assisted Living in Denison, Iowa, in October 2014. On July 21, 2017, they moved to Las Vegas, NV, where Anita moved into a memory care facility. Gene lived with Stephanie in their Vegas home for six months until his health declined. He then moved into Coronado Heights Senior Living. He loved living in the same facility with Anita and enjoyed the great activities as well as singing in the choir. In March 2019 he had more health issues and moved into memory care and shared a room with Anita. They were the sweetest couple, and many thought of them as being from the novel, “The Notebook”. The couple renewed their wedding vows at Coronado Heights on April 25, 2019. Gene touched so many lives with his smile. He celebrated his 91^st birthday and their 46^th anniversary in July.

Gene is survived by his wife, Anita (passed away on 12/22/2019), daughter Stephanie (Kyle) Ullrich of Denison, IA; stepdaughter Michelle Flynn of Ames, IA; stepson Michael (Ruth) Flynn of Lilydale, MN; grandchildren: Heidi (Rod) Slechta, Chris (Wendy) Ullrich, Holly (Dean) Quirk, Hope (Cecil) Wilson, Shawn (Missy) Flynn, Nathan (Natalie) Flynn, Lindsay (Jeff) King, Derek (Holly) Flynn, and Annie Rae Flynn; great-grandchildren: Shelby (Blake) Zomermaand, Jaden Slechta, Abbi, Bailey, Carli and Dayton Ullrich, Hillary Ullrich, Haylee, Drew and Kaylee Quirk, Lauren, Cooper and Parker O’Daniel; 12 Flynn great-grandchildren, and many nieces and nephews. 

He was preceded in death by his parents; 5 sisters and 4 brothers and their spouses; and stepson Patrick Flynn.