Earl grew up on a farm outside Nashua, Iowa, where he was active in FFA, showing cattle at the Big 4 Fair in Nashua. Earl was 15 years old when his father died. Because of this he and his brothers helped farm for their mother. He graduated from Nashua High School in 1954, where he participated in track and football, earning all-conference guard his senior year. He served in the United States Army as a paratrooper in the 82nd Airborne from 1957-59. After service he resumed farming and worked at Waterloo Concrete building silos. He married Sam in 1960, and they made their first home in a small apartment in Waterloo, Iowa. In 1961, Earl was accepted to patrol school and they moved to Indianola. After 9 years as a road trooper he was called upon to be on the Security Detail for Governor Ray and subsequently Governor Branstad. He headed the Division of Capital Police and served as Chief of the Iowa State Patrol for four years retiring in 1996.
Earl had an outgoing personality. He enjoyed being around kids and they were drawn to him. He was a Cub Scout Master for Scott’s Boy Scout troop and coached Little League baseball. He was even up for a game of whiffle ball with the neighborhood kids. Earl attended all of Nancy and Scott’s elementary school concerts and carnivals. He rarely missed a cross country meet, basketball game or track meet. Earl was proud of his grandkids Jack, Hannah and Clare and would talk about their academic and sports accomplishments with his coffee group. He would drive 700 miles, from Indianola to Denver, to attend a hockey game or track meet.
Earl loved the outdoors. He looked forward to mushroom hunting in the Spring with Scott and quail hunting with his Brittany Spaniel, Bruno. After retirement he enjoyed playing golf, even making a hole in one at Shady Oaks golf course. He and Sam would go to auctions, where he would buy an antique piece of furniture in need of repair and restore it to original condition.
Earl lived a full life. He will live on in the hearts of the many people he helped along the way.
Services for Earl E. Usher, 90, of Indianola, Iowa, who passed away peacefully Tuesday, August 25, 2026, at Arbor Springs in West Des Moines, will be held 10:30 a.m., Monday, August 31, 2026, at Overton Funeral Home in Indianola. Burial will follow in the Indianola I.O.O.F. Memorial Gardens Cemetery.
Visitation will be held 4 to 6:00 p.m., Sunday, August 30, 2026, at Overton Funeral Home. In lieu of flowers, memorials in memory of Earl may be given to the Trooper Chase Carruthers Fund at Iowa State Patrol Headquarters, 215 E. 7th St, Des Moines, IA 50319.
