Service: 10:30 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 21, Ralph J. Wittich-Riley-Freers Funeral Home. Visitation: 3 -7 p.m. Friday, Nov. 20, funeral home. Burial: Memorial Park Cemetery. Online condolences: fwww.wittichfuneralhome.com.

MUSCATINE, Iowa – Herbert Laverne SyWassink, 83, of Muscatine, died Tuesday, Nov. 17, 2009, at Lutheran Homes.

Gertie Nichols will officiate the service. 

Casketbearers will be his grandsons, Justin J. SyWassink, Levi M. SyWassink, Cody P. Kauffman, Seth T. SyWassink, Chase J. SyWassink, and Zack T. SyWassink.

Serving as honorary bearers will be his granddaughters, Allison J. SyWassink, Erika A. SyWassink, Tiffany S. Leza, Whitney J. Leza, Ashley Knouse, and Sherry Craver, a long-long friend, Kenneth TeStrake, and cousins, Verle SyWassink, Duane SyWassink, and Don SyWassink. 

 Memorials may be made to Lutheran Homes or the Sweetland United Methodist Church.

Mr. SyWassink was born Jan. 16, 1926, in Muscatine, the son of Charles and Dottie Leonard SyWassink.

He graduated from Muscatine High School in 1943, where he was a member of the Future Farmers of America, serving as president, and received an Iowa State FFA Degree.  He also served as 4-H county president during his high school years.

He married Phyllis Jean Sprouse Jan. 14, 1951, in Muscatine.

He was a dairy farmer most of his life.  After retiring from farming in 1989, he drove a school bus for two years and served as director of transportation for eight years for the Muscatine Community School District.  He also worked for Muscatine Transportation as a driver and for Muscatine County where he groomed county roads.

He was active in the community.  He was a life-long member of the Sweetland United Methodist Church, serving as financial secretary, board chairman, Sunday school superintendent, and taught high school aged Sunday school class. 

He served 20 years on various school boards, nine years on the Muscatine Community School Board six of those years as school board president, and served on the State Resolution Committee. 

His other services includes serving as district secretary and president of the Iowa Guernsey Cattle Breeders, 10 years on the Muscatine County Zoning Board, three years on the Muscatine County Compensation Board, and was a member of the Board for Muscatine-Scott Farm Service, serving as vice-president.  He was a life long member of Farm Bureau and held all offices at the county level.

He enjoyed many life-long friends.  His greatest enjoyment came from his 58 year marriage, his children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.

Those left to honor his memory include his wife, Phyllis SyWassink of Muscatine; three sons, Rick SyWassink and wife, Chris of Mount Pleasant, Terry SyWassink and wife, Sherri of Muscatine, and Jeff SyWassink and wife, Ramona of Muscatine; a daughter, Diane SyWassink Allen and husband, Bill of Muscatine; 10 grandchildren, Allison SyWassink, Justin SyWassink, Erika SyWassink, Tiffany Leza, Levi SyWassink, Cody Kauffman, Seth SyWassink, Whitney Leza, Chase SyWassink, and Zack SyWassink; five great-grandchildren, Elexa, Olivia, Alex, Madysen, and Isabelle; four step-grandchildren, Sherry, Brandon, Sean and Ashley; three step-great-grandchildren, Coy, Mercedes, and Kaden; and a sister, Miriam Collier and husband, Warren of Durant.

He was preceded in death by his parents.