Keith Dirks, 58,  a Jones County Supervisor, died Saturday, Aug. 15, 2015, at his home following a brief illness. Keith was a classmate of ours in grade school. He skipped a grade in Jr High and graduated in 1974.

Funeral services were held 11 a.m. Thursday, Aug. 20, at the Wayne Zion Lutheran Church in rural Monticello with interment in the Wayne Zion Cemetery. 

Surviving is his wife, Joyce; his siblings, Phil (Kathy) Dirks of Anamosa, Lynnette (David) Scott of Sparks, Nev., Gayle (Tony) Valdez of Gilroy, Calif., Harvey ( Kathy) Dirks of Cedar Rapids; a special nephew, Jeffrey Dirks, and nieces and nephews, Matt, Molly Nathan, Jeremy, Josh, Tony, Clair, Kenny and Nicholas; his special friend, Charles Hilton; his mother-in-law, Marie Finn, Cascade; sisters-in-law, Jan (Carl) Takes, Amber, Kay (Bob) Vonderhaar, Cascade and a special aunt, Lollie Finn, Cascade.

He was preceded in death by his parents; his father-in-law, Rusty Finn; and a sister, Coral Jackson.

Keith Craig Dirks was born, Oct. 19, 1956, in Aurora, Ill. He was the son of George and May (Baker) Dirks. Keith graduated from the Anamosa Community Schools in 1974. He continued his education at both Cornell College and at Kirkwood College.

Keith started working as a painter and worked for various painting contractors in Cedar Rapids though the painters union.

Keith married Joyce Finn on Sept. 25, 1982, at St. Mary’s Catholic Church, Cascade. Keith started his own painting business, Keith Dirks Painting and Decorating, shortly thereafter.

For the past 19 years, Keith has served as a supervisor for Jones County. In that capacity, he served on the Board of Health, the 9-1-1 Board, Emergency Management, the Jones County Economic Development Commission and received an award from the governor for his work.

He also served on Eastern Iowa Regional Utility Service Systems and was very active on the Jones County Conservation Board, working to get the Nature Center built at Central Park and all the other improvements done.

Keith was a member of A.A. and also devoted time to ASAC, speaking to youth groups about alcohol and drug abuse. He was active in the Democratic Party serving on the Central Committee for 10 years before he was elected as a supervisor.

When he was not painting or in a meeting, Keith loved to play and, more recently, build guitars. He loved the outdoors and the natural prairies. He enjoyed hunting and was an avid fisherman.