DR. DOYLE W. SIMONSEN, 96, of Cherokee, Iowa, formerly of rural Quimby, Iowa, passed away Monday evening July 27, 2015 at the Cherokee Regional Medical Center.

Funeral services will be held on Monday, August 3rd, at 10:30 a.m., at the Quimby United Methodist Church. Pastor Barb Dinelli will officiate. Burial will be in the Quimby Cemetery. A family prayer service will be held Monday at 10:15 a.m. at the church. Visitation will be on Sunday from 11 a.m. until 5 p.m., with the family present from 2 p.m. until 4 p.m., at the Boothby Funeral Home in Cherokee. Online condolences may be left at < www.boothbyfuneral.com >.

Doyle was born on April 11, 1919 in Cherokee, Iowa to Dr. Warren and Elma (Dean) Simonsen.  He graduated from Quimby Consolidated High School in 1935. After completing every class offered by the high school, he graduated at the age of 16. He attended Iowa State College for five years and graduated as a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine in June of 1940. He practiced veterinary medicine in Paullina for one year. Doyle was married to Margaret Rasmussen of Marcus, Iowa on November 27, 1941. They moved to Quimby and Doyle joined the family business. He served as President of Simonsen Mill, Inc. and related companies from 1941 until his retirement in 1984. During this period, he led the company's expansion into several new lines of business, including regional liquefied petroleum (propane) distribution, fertilizer and agricultural equipment manufacturing.

As a member of the Quimby United Methodist Church, Doyle served as treasurer for many years. He served on both the Quimby and Willow school boards (including several terms as president), the Cherokee County Extension Board, and was an officer for various fertilizer organizations. From 1935-1937, while he was a student at Iowa State College, Doyle served in the Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) as a sergeant in the Field Artillery Unit. He was a member of the Iowa Propane Gas Association.

He served on the Sioux Valley Memorial Hospital Board for 45 years; at his first meeting they voted to build an addition on the old hospital and at his last meeting, they voted to tear the old hospital down. He passed away at the new hospital he proposed building as a member of the board.

When Doyle retired, he became a charter member of the Quimby Lions Club. He and fellow members enjoyed serving countless suppers and greatly expanded the paper and cardboard recycling program. He was always very proud that all six of his children "were college educated and self-supporting."

Preceding him in death were his parents; Margaret, his wife of 69 years, on November 29, 2010; brothers, Dr. Dean Simonsen & Marlo Simonsen; and sisters-in-law, Betty Simonsen & Virginia Simonsen.

He is survived by his six children: Ann (Ray) Drefke of Marcus, IA; John R. (Helen) Simonsen of Quimby, IA; Mark (Kathy) Simonsen of Cherokee, IA; Karen (Michael) McMahon of Libertyville, IL; Kristie (Rich) Brown of Sioux City, IA; Kira (Alan) Freilich of Moorhead, IA; 17 grandchildren: Jeri (Mike) Johnson of Kiel, WI, Brent (Michelle) Drefke of Clive, IA, Jon (Marla) Simonsen of Quimby, IA, Kyle (Kristi) Drefke of Bethesda, MD, Jay (Becky) Simonsen of Rayville, LA, Kelly Kaufman of Cedar Rapids, IA, Kerry (Glenn) Selby of Gretna, NE, Matt (Kristin) Simonsen of Eden Prairie, MN, Kyle McMahon of Libertyville, IL, Scott Drefke of Ankeny, IA, Courtney (Jamie) Sanders of Overland Park, KS, Kent Simonsen of Cushing, IA, Kirk (Cameren) McMahon of Chicago, IL, and Rachel (TJ) Stahle of Overland Park, KS; Evan (Candace) Freilich, Mallory Freilich and Morgan Freilich, all of Omaha, NE; 28 great-grandchildren: Kelsey, Kasey and Karley Petersen; Jared and Tyler Drefke; Derek and Jacob Simonsen;  Margaret, Madeleine and Sigrid Drefke; Annabelle, Noah and Skyler Arnold; Katie Kaufman; Marilyn, Frank, Andy, and Carl Simonsen and Julia Constantineau; Payton and Alyson Drefke; Kayla Selby; Ruby and Jameson Sanders; Liv McMahon; and Michael, Alexander and Eleanor Freilich; a brother Merle (Dorothy) Simonsen of Cherokee; two sisters-in-law Alice Rasmussen of Sioux City and Cecily Simonsen of Tucson, AZ; and many nieces and nephews.