Randall “Randy” G. Geurink, age 64, of Muscatine, Iowa, formerly of Durant, Iowa, died on Friday, January 20, 2023 at Mission Regional Medical Center in Mission, Texas. A visitation will be held from 2:00 – 6:00 p.m., Sunday, January 29, 2023 at Bentley Funeral Home, Durant. A private family funeral service will be held. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be given to the Durant American Legion or St. Paul’s Episcopal Church of Durant, IA. Online condolences may be left at www.bentleyfuneralhome.com
Randy was born on April 3, 1958. At the age of four, he was adopted by Leroy and Elizabeth (Altmann) Geurink. Randy was reunited, at the age of 19, with his other siblings that had also been adopted in 1962 through the First Presbyterian Church, Muscatine. They include one brother, Melvin (Kristy) Moore and 3 sisters, Carolyn (Dennis) Riedel, Sara (Leo) McCleary all of Muscatine; and Amy (Frank) Munoz of Manassas, Virginia. He felt privileged to personally know other family members from his original birth family.
In Randy’s early years, he helped his father farm north of Durant. He was a 1976 graduate of Durant High School. During his school years, Randy assisted Andy Sorenson with new home construction, which he carried through life in building their current residence on the Cedar River just north of Muscatine. After high school, Randy and his dad operated Geurink & Son Feed Supply. Randy married his high school love, Polly Dengler, on March 18, 1978, in Muscatine, Iowa. In 1983, Randy reopened The Wagon Wheel in Durant and later The Broken Spoke Lounge & Dance Hall in Wilton. Several years later, Randy went to work for Muscatine Memorial Park Cemetery and the Wittich-Lewis Funeral Home. He later purchased Iowa Memorial Granite with his wife Polly, where they took great pride in their work. He eventually sold to Peter Troost Monument Company of Hillside, Illinois, where they both stayed employed until their retirement in September of 2022, due to Randy’s battle with Stage IV Lung Cancer. Randy was never one to sit around and always stayed busy right up to his last days. Many friends benefitted from his helping hands. Randy loved the outdoors and fishing with his wife. With everything that life threw at him, Randy was never one to get too serious and always made his family and friends laugh. He was extremely proud of his family and he made everyone he knew feel like part of the family.
Randy was a member of the Polka Chips Band in Durant, along with members Gary Bland, Steve Alpen, Mike Cielecki and David Behal. They performed together for 6 years and were like brothers. Randy was involved with creating 3 record albums, playing at numerous wedding & anniversary receptions, and polka fests in several neighboring states and even a chartered trip to Austria in October of 1978 with a tour group the band organized. Randy and Polly considered this trip their honeymoon.
Randy was a lifetime member of The Sons of the American Legion in honor of his father. Randy volunteered at the Durant American Legion fish fry for over twenty years. Although not a regular attendee, Randy helped with projects at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church over the past twenty years. Randy was active with the REC mixed bowling league that he and his wife had enjoyed for over 40 years.
Randy will be dearly missed by his wife, Polly; three children, Luke (Maria) Geurink of Muscatine, Jeff Geurink of Parkview, Iowa, and Ronda (Mel) Carpenter of Durant; and six grandchildren, Curtis, Matteson, Justin, Shelby, Becca and “lil” Randy; his mother-in-law, Marilyn Dengler; and many nieces, nephews, aunts, uncles and cousins.
Randy was preceded in death by his parents; stepsister, Judy Morton; and a niece, Joyce Hamilton.
