Joel Rasmussen's Obituary
Joel c Rasmussen, age 88, passed peacefully on December 11, 2022, at Mary Greeley Medical Center, Ames. Joel c Rasmussen was born in a farmhouse along Highway 30 between Ames and Nevada to John and Adeline Rasmussen on June 4, 1934. Yes, the c is lower case and he seemed to like that. Maybe it was just a squiggle of the pen on the birth certificate. Maybe it was a placeholder for a name to be added later. It was unique, just like Joel, and he proudly used that 'c' in his signature forever. After moving to Ames, Joel joined the Army and served in the 82nd Airborne. Upon discharge, he returned to Ames and wed Betty Ann Kerr on November 14, 1958, and they remained married until her death in 2014. Joel drove stock cars for more than 25 years and ranked among the best stock car drivers in Iowa in the 1960s and 1970s. He won the championship race at the Iowa State Fair in 1968 and finished second in this race in 1969 and 1970. He called winning races at the Knoxville Speedway in the 1960s the highlight of his career. He was inducted into the Iowa Racing Museum's Hall of Fame in 2019. Long after he stopped racing, he enjoyed attending races and watching NASCAR races on television. Joel is survived by his three sons, and daughters-in-law: Chris Rasmussen and Jennifer Jones of Highland Park, New Jersey; Jeff Rasmussen and Susan Burns of Boulder, Colorado; and Tim and Nicole Rasmussen of Ames, his sister Karen. He is also survived by seven grandsons: Soren, Lars, Noah, Jacob, Wyatt, Cameron, and Cael. He was preceded in death by his wife, Betty, his parents, his brothers Gus and Jim, sister Donzetta, and by one grandson, Brennan. Visitation will be at American Legion Post 37, 225 Main Street, Ames on January 13, 2023 from 2:00pm - 5:00pm.
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