Ronald D. Culver

Ronald D. Culver, of Clinton, IA, passed away on Saturday, December 6, at the Alverno in Clinton. He was 87 years old.

Ronald was born October 29, 1938, the son of Edward and Olive (Clark) Culver. He grew up in Jackson County, where he developed his grit helping out on the family farm. It was there that he first fell in love with the outdoors, sparking a lifelong passion for fishing and hunting. He was a graduate of Onslow High School with the class of 1957.

Ronald was a man of many trades and talents. He spent much of his life working in construction as a contractor, building many houses throughout the area. Later in life, proving he had the brains to match his brawn, he earned an accounting degree. While he was excellent with numbers, he quickly realized that sitting behind a desk all day wasn’t in his nature, so he moved on to more active pursuits.

To say Ronald was an outdoorsman is an understatement; he lived to hunt and fish. He was a thrill-seeker who didn’t mind bending the rules when the situation called for it—or sometimes just for the fun of it. He enjoyed noodling before it was legal, hunting out of season, and catching snapping turtles. Even on the morning of his daughter’s wedding, Ronald could be found out in the field hunting fox. He had a fascination with nature that few understood, specifically regarding rattlesnakes. He was known to catch them, bring them home to keep in an aquarium, and eventually donate them to schools or reservations.

Ronald was a character, through and through. He loved country music and Elvis, and he really loved his Pepsi. As a young man, he could drink a case a day, and even later in life, he would sneak one whenever he had the chance. He could be feisty and ornery, but that spirit is exactly what kept him going. While he could be a tough Dad, he was a big teddy bear at heart whose bark was worse than his bite. His children will fondly remember the tradition of cutting down the yearly Christmas tree, where Ronald would invariably be the first one to start singing "Silver Bells."

Ronald will be dearly missed by his 13 children: Ronald Culver Jr. of Jackson County, IA; Carol (Billy) Darnell of Jacksonville, TX; Rosalie (Thomas) Petersen of Davenport, IA; Beverly (Mark) Petersen of Clinton, IA; Barbara (Anthony) Smith of Jacksonville, TX; Robbie Culver of Nacogdoches, TX; Jeremy (Wendy) Culver of Bridge City, TX; Jason Culver of Arkansas; Eric Culver of Coyle, OK; Crystal (Richard) Barnette of Oklahoma; Charlotte (Byron) Hook of Stillwater, OK; Cathleen (Russell) Mann of Perkins, OK; and Connie (Adam) Listerman of Perkins, OK. He is also survived by 39 grandchildren and many great-grandchildren; and two siblings, Kennith Culver of Albany, IL, and Ronda (Kevin) Johnson of Davenport, IA.

Ronald is preceded in death by his parents, Edward and Olive; his brother, Charles; his sister, Emmalou; his granddaughter, April; and his daughter, Sarah.

A funeral service will be held at 3:00 p.m. on Saturday, December 13, at the River Church in Clinton. Visitation will be held prior to the service from 2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. at the church.