William "BJ" Joseph Cortum

William “BJ” Joseph Cortum, 46, of Keokuk, Iowa, passed away on Saturday, October 17, 2020, in Whiteside, Indiana.

BJ was born on May 22, 1974, in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, the son of John and Rita (Schmidt) Cortum. He graduated from Danville High School in 1992. On August 24, 1996, he was united in marriage to Christina “Chris” Lou Schwebach in Danville, Iowa. She survives.

A lifelong resident of southeast Iowa, BJ was employed for many years in restaurant management, before beginning a career in trucking. He began driving for Frito-Lay and Schneider before becoming the owner/operator of Mutroc Transit in 2016.  When he wasn’t working, BJ spent most of his time spoiling his grandchildren. One of his favorite pastimes was watching sporting events with them, cheering on the Chicago Bears, the Iowa Hawkeyes, the St. Louis Cardinals, and the LA Lakers. His grandchildren were all recipients of jerseys of his favorite teams, which they treasure. He also enjoyed Ford vehicles, especially the Mustang. BJ was an Eagle Scout with Troup 71 in Danville, Iowa, and his love of camping continued throughout his life. BJ was a very dependable and supportive person, and you could always rely on him if you needed help.

BJ is survived by his wife Chris Cortum of Keokuk; his parents John and Rita Cortum of Mediapolis, Iowa; four children: Meleiah (Michael) Gonzalez of Keokuk, Samantha (Nathan) Streetman of Hewitt, Texas, Dusten Cortum of Keokuk and Jazmyne Cortum of Keokuk; three grandchildren: Anthony Gonzalez, Carter Gonzalez and Westyn Cortum, all of Keokuk; a granddaughter Aurora Mei Streetman on the way; his brother Robert Cortum of North Carolina and his sister Catherine (Joe) Delzell of Morning Sun, Iowa. Other survivors include many nieces, nephews and cousins.

BJ’s life will be celebrated with a funeral service at 10 am on Saturday, October 24, 2020, at DeJong-Greaves-Printy Funeral Home, 917 Blondeau Street, Keokuk, Iowa, with burial to follow at Oakland Cemetery in Keokuk. Visitation will be held from 4 to 7 pm on Friday at the funeral home. For the safety of those attending, masks are strongly encouraged, and social distancing practices will be in place.

Memorials may be directed to his family in care of Christina Cortum.

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