Ernest Lester Iwerks was born on March 28, 1890 in Turner County, SD to Ubbe and Hanna (Gortmaker) Iwerks. Ernest grew up in Monroe, SD and on April 27, 1912, married Goldie Brown in Turner County. 

Ernest and Goldie are listed on the 1915 census in Monroe, SD. When he completed his WWI registration 1917_1918, Ernest and Goldie and their children were living in Canton, SD. He was working as a mechanic in Canton at the time. He lived in SD until sometime after the 1925 census. By the 1930 census, he was living in Sioux City, IA without a family working as an electrician. 

Of interest, was his directory listing for 1941 which reported he was a film operator. On January 5, 1948, he married Gladys D. Lee in Kansas City, MO. He and Gladys were listed in the Sioux City, IA directory from their marriage to 1952. 

Sometime later Ernest moved to King County, Washington, where he died on January 17, 1961. He was buried at Hillside Cemetery, Issaquah, King, Washington.