Find A Grave Memorial# 141699785
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Clayton Eugene "Gene" Koth died January 8, 2015, surrounded by family and friends, under the care of WesleyLife Hospice at Edgewater Retirement Community in West Des Moines. A service celebrating Gene's life will be held Saturday, January 24, 10:30 a.m., at Walnut Hills United Methodist Church in Urbandale, with family welcoming friends at 9:30 a.m.
Born in Slayton, MN, on June 29, 1938, to Clayton and Eva Koth, Gene moved with his family to Le Mars, IA, where he graduated from high school and from Westmar College. Gene went on to receive a Master of Divinity degree from Garrett Evangelical Seminary, Evanston, IL. In 1962, Gene and Anne Clawson were married in Naperville, IL.
After ordination as a United Methodist minister in 1964, Gene began his ministry in Iowa, where he served churches in Des Moines, Bettendorf, and Chariton, and served as Superintendent of the Perry District. In 1989, Gene was appointed as the founding pastor of Walnut Hills Church in Urbandale, where he served until his retirement in 2002.
Gene always said, "My life is not my own, but belongs to God." He truly lived a life of service and provided others both inspiration and settings for service and justice. While he and Anne enjoyed travel, including annual visits to the Mendocino Music Festival on the northern California coast and wonderful times of play with their grandchildren, Gene's retirement continued to be one of service, with ten years of mentoring children at Capitol View Elementary in Des Moines. His wishes now are for donation of his body to Des Moines University.
Gene is survived by his wife, Anne; his sons, John (Sherri) of Sun Valley, ID and Kent (Ling Yeh) of Seattle, WA; his grandchildren, Taylor, Nadiya, and Kalani; his brother, Robert of Phoenix, AZ; and his sister, Gwen (David) Mead of Rochester, MN. Gene was preceded in death by his parents, and his sister, Joan Markley.
