David Joseph Rohlk

David Joseph Rohlk

1949 – 2022

STORM LAKE - David Joseph Rohlk, age 72, of Storm Lake, Iowa passed away on Feb. 25, 2022, at his home in Storm Lake. Graveside services will be held at 11 a.m. on Saturday, Sept. 10, 2022, in the Calvary Cemetery in Holstein, Iowa. The Fratzke & Jensen Funeral Home in Storm Lake is in charge of arrangements.

David Joseph Rohlk was born on March 25, 1949, the son of Bernardt and Marie (Eickman) Rohlk. He had one older brother, Dennis. He grew up on the Rohlk family farm northeast of Holstein, Iowa, where he went to elementary school and graduated Holstein High School in 1967. He attended Iowa Central Community College for two years, then transferred to Northwest Missouri State in Maryville. He returned to Holstein to help his parents farm, and later they moved to Cherokee. He worked as an occupational therapist at the Cherokee Mental Health institute for five years from 1975 to 1980.

After starting part time for the U.S. Postal Service in 1988 and working at numerous local post offices, he was appointed Postmaster of Oto, Iowa in 2001. In 2003, he was appointed Postmaster at Galva, Iowa, where he worked until his retirement in August 2011. Dave was proudly customer-service oriented. In 2012, he moved from Cherokee to a home on Casino Road in Storm Lake.

Dave was a true car enthusiast and had more cars than most people. Classic cars held particular interest for him. He traveled far and wide for swap meets and car shows. Dave was famous for his ability to identify cars by models and years. He kept his own fleet in good order and enjoyed the drive wherever he went.

Dave loved being around people and had a wide circle of friends from work, school, and the community. He enjoyed going out to eat, listening to live music, and chatting with people wherever he met them. His disposition became his nickname: Sunny. His friends and relatives could expect to receive birthday and Christmas cards from him without fail.

Dave had a strong interest in family history and regularly attended reunions and other family celebrations. He liked to discuss the history of his maternal and paternal ancestors. He loved visiting and reminiscing, and always expressed appreciation for well-prepared family recipes.

In later years, Dave kept in touch with regular phone calls to his family and friends. There would always be updates about his dog, Happy, who had a special place in his heart. Dave is deeply missed by all who knew and loved him.

Left to cherish Dave’s memory are his cousins and extended family. He is preceded in death by his parents, Bernardt and Marie (Eickman) Rohlk, and his brother, Dennis Rohlk.

Services and Burial: Sept. 10 • Calvary Cemetery, Holstein, Iowa

Fratzke & Jensen Funeral Home • Storm Lake, Iowa • 712-732-1911