Frank "Skip" Degroote

Frank “Skip” DeGroote, 75, of Dayton, Iowa, passed away at the Paula J. Baber Hospice Home on Thursday, July 7, 2022.

A service of celebration and honor will be held 1:30 p.m., Saturday, July 16, 2022, at the United Methodist Church in Dayton. Pastor Kay. Christie will officiate. Burial will follow in the Dayton Cemetery. Visitation will be prior to the service at the church, starting at 11:00 a.m. Carson ~ Stapp Funeral Home in Dayton has been entrusted with the arrangements. For online obituaries & condolences visit: www.carsonstappfuneralhome.com

Frank “Skip” DeGroote was born on July 31, 1946 to George and Ada (Fridolfson) DeGroote in Fort Dodge, Iowa. In April of 1951, when Skip was only four years old, he lost both of his parents and his maternal grandmother when the family was hit head on by another driver. This tragedy was met with the kindness of family when Skip’s Uncle Phil and Aunt Nina took him and raised him until he graduated from high school. Skip attended and then graduated from Dayton High School in 1964. After graduation, Skip enrolled at Fort Dodge Junior College, majoring in Food Marketing and Management for two years. He then entered the grocery business, working mainly at Hy-Vee stores for the next seventeen years. After leaving his grocery career, Skip then came back home to farm with his Uncle Phil and stayed here for the next thirty-one years before retiring.

After retiring, Skip would drive truck, hauling mainly seed corn and beans for Landus, just for something to do.

Skip married Caroll Wuddel in October 1965 and three wonderful children; Frank Perry, Angela Lynn, and Gina Marie, were born to this union, which lasted forty-five years before Caroll’s passing in 2010.

On August 7, 2020, Skip married his long-time friend and companion, Pat Appleton and the two have been enjoying retirement with friends by playing cards, dancing, traveling, and of course, Skip trying to learn the art of golfing.

In addition to his parents, Skip was preceded in death by his wife, Caroll of 45 years, and his grandson, Sebastian Kidd.

Those left to celebrate his life include: his wife, Pat Appleton; his children, Frank Perry (Barb) De Groote, Angela Lynn Wadsworth, and Gina Marie DeGroote; his grandchildren, Cody and Nicholas DeGroote, Dalton Stowers, Shayla and Payton Wadsworth, and Trayton Hockmeier.; and bonus kids, Shawn Pratt (Charlie Ortiz), and Sandra Pratt (Dave Carrol).

There are many in this community that will miss Skip’s quick wit and ready smile.