Austin Gibson

Austin Paul Gibson, age 26, of Leon, Iowa, the son of Jeffery Lynn and Rabecca Lynn (Daniel) Gibson, was born May 20, 1994, in Des Moines, Iowa. He left this life on Tuesday, August 11, 2020, at the Decatur County Hospital, Leon, Iowa.

Austin grew up in Van Wert, Iowa and attended Clarke Schools through the seventh grade. He completed his education at Central Decatur Schools in Leon, graduating in May of 2012. While in school he was involved in many sports – baseball, pee wee through high school, football, and track, where he still holds the school record for the 100-meter dash in 11 seconds.

He loved spending time with family and friends, hunting, driving country roads, and being outdoors. Before high school graduation, he enlisted into the United States Marine Corps with delayed entry until 2013. On August 5, 2013, he started boot camp at MCRD, San Diego, California. He graduated in October of 2013, then went on to various trainings at Camp Pendleton, California before joining the 2nd Reconnaissance Battalion at Camp LeJeune, North Carolina. He also took dive and jump schooling and went on a six-month deployment from February until August 2018. While in training school in Eloy, Arizona on November 6, 2018, he was in a tragic jumping accident where his parachute equipment malfunctioned and he became paralyzed. He then spent many months in hospitals in several United States cities. On September 26, 2019, he and his wife came home from the hospital to join his family in Van Wert, Iowa. He was officially discharged from the Marines on May 30, 2020.

On October 27, 2017, he married Michaella Marie Power in Wilmington, North Carolina. The couple was living in Leon, Iowa at the time of his death.

Preceding him in death were his grandparents, Leland and Irene VanderLinden; great grandmother, Letha DeVries; and uncle, Dale “Timber Dan” VanderLinden. Survivors include his wife, Michaella Gibson of Leon, Iowa; parents, Jeff and Becky Gibson of Van Wert, Iowa; brother, Dylan Gibson of Van Wert; grandparents, Roger and Diana Gibson of Kellerton, Iowa; numerous aunts, uncles, and cousins; and many, many friends.

Funeral services will be held at the Central Decatur High School football field in Leon, Iowa at 10:30 a.m. Monday, August 17, 2020, with Pastor Ron Helton officiating. Burial with military honors will be in the Van Wert Cemetery, Van Wert, Iowa. Arrangements were through the Slade – O’Donnell Funeral Home in Leon, Iowa.

A memorial fund has been established by the Family.