John Clement Stortz

John Clement Stortz, 65, of Waterloo, Iowa died Wednesday, November 21, 2012 at home of natural causes. He was born December 16, 1946, in Decorah, Iowa, son of John Edward and La Vonne Espeseth Stortz. He married Nancy "Diebs" Galloway in Chicago, Illinois. They were later divorced. He married Bridget Ann Dunbar in Cedar Falls, Iowa on August 21, 1989. He graduated from Decorah High School in 1965 and attended Luther College in Decorah. John was a Real Estate Appraiser at Valuation Services, Inc. in Cedar Falls for the past 25 years. John was a self-taught musician whose professional career began in 1975. He played with a variety of regional bands, touring the United States and Canada, performing electric, acoustic, lap steel and dobro guitars. John was engaged in performing, writing, and recording music, and was inducted into the Iowa Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Milford, Iowa in 2009 for his work with The Deputy Dawg Band. For the last several years, John played lead guitar in a local band with Raldo Schneider and Travis Smiley. He is survived by his wife Bridget, three children, Emily of Cedar Falls and James and Sarah, at home, his mother La Vonne, of Decorah, his sister Susan (Ronald) Severson of Calmar, and his nieces Karen (Jesus ) Keil-Arellano and Amber Severson, and nephew Dustin Severson. John was preceded in death by his father, John Stortz of Decorah, and his sister Janice Keil of LaCrosse. There will a memorial gathering on Wednesday, November 28, 2012 from 6:00 to 10:00 p.m. at Hartman Reserve Nature Center, 657 Reserve Drive, Cedar Falls, Iowa. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to the family.