R. Edwin Gafford

R. Edwin Gafford, 74 of Mineola, IA, passed away Monday, June 15, 2026 at his home. Funeral services will be held at 10:00 a.m. on Monday, June 22, 2026 at the Loess Hills Funeral Home In Glenwood, IA. Burial will be in the Mineola Cemetery. Visitation at the funeral home will be held on Sunday, June 21, 2026 with family greeting friends from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. Loess Hills Funeral Home in Glenwood is caring for Edwin and his family.

Memorials: Memorial fund has been established

OBITUARY

R. Edwin Gafford departed this life on Monday, June 15, 2026 at the age of 74.

Edwin was born on July 13, 1951 in Colorado Springs to Alvin and Eva Mae Gafford. He received his elementary education at Emmanuel Christian Day School and attended college at Peoples Bible College. During his college days, Ed was involved with campus grounds keeping, campus security, and the college print shop. Ed was very musical and had both a keen sense of rhythm and perfect pitch. He very capably filled the position of 1st chair trumpet in the school band. Edwin graduated from Peoples Bible College in 1975.

Edwin married Marsha Marie Shreve in December 1977. They were blessed with two children -- a daughter Ellen born in 1979 and a son Marlin born in 1982. The family resided in Colorado Springs for 14 years. During that time, Ed drove a gasoline tanker for a company called Chief Petroleum.

In 1994, Ed and Marsha made the big decision to leave the city, embark on a more rural way of life, and move to Hayes Center, Nebraska. It didn't take long for Ed to establish a lawn care business, including Ellen and Marlin as part of the team.

Ed also joined the local volunteer fire department and filled that role for 5 years.

After the children left home, Ed once again got the urge to start trucking. He began the second stint of his trucking career with his own business called Diamondback Trucking. He hauled gravel and grain in a hopper-bottom for several years. Later on, other trucking opportunities to transport various commodities for Westwind Logistics arose. His final employer was Frenchman Valley, for which he hauled fuel to various stations and farming operations across Southwestern Nebraska.

At the close of 2021, Ed and Marsha relocated to Mineola, Iowa to be closer to kids and grandkids. During their retirement years, Ed and Marsha enjoyed occasional opportunities for traveling. They also attended many music events performed by Southwestern Iowa Homeschool Choir and Orchestra --all under the leadership of their daughter-in-law Rebecca.

Ed was preceded in death by his mother Eva Mae (2000) and his father Alvin (2019). He is survived by his wife Marsha of Mineola, Iowa; a sister Katherine of Colorado Springs; a daughter Ellen Carl and husband Benjamin of Cincinnati, Ohio; son Marlin Gafford and wife Rebecca of Mineola, Iowa; and 8 grandchildren -- Kyle Gafford and wife Marissa of Omaha, Nebraska; Josh, Kayla, Jacob, Jenna, and Kolton Gafford of Mineola, Iowa; and Addyson and Bryson Carl of Cincinnati, Ohio.