Gary Wayne Young

Gary Wayne Young, age 71, of Coon Rapids, IA, passed away peacefully after a valiant battle with leukemia, on Sunday, September 26, 2021 at his home near Coon Rapids, surrounded by his family.

Funeral service will be held at 10:30 A.M. on Thursday, September 30, 2021 at

Five Oaks , Gary and Marcia’s family farm (32132 330th St) in Coon Rapids with Pastors Jerry Schultz of Ascension Lutheran Church and John Kult officiating.  Casket bearers will be Nathan Cunningham, Coby Bonney, Larry Young, Leslie Young, Gary Erickson, and Joe Kautzky.  Honorary casket bearers will be Richard Emery, Doug Pevestorf, John Lange, Dennis Bonney, Jon Bower, and Doug Bass.  Burial will be in Union Township Cemetery near Coon Rapids.

Visitation will be held at the Dahn and Woodhouse Funeral Home in Coon Rapids from 5 – 7 P.M. on Wednesday evening.  The casket will be moved to Gary’s farm at 9:30 A.M. on Thursday, where visitation will resume until 10:15 A.M.  Picnic lunch will follow at the farm, served by the Friends of Ascension Lutheran Church.

Funeral arrangements are under the direction of the Dahn and Woodhouse Funeral Home in Coon Rapids and online condolences may be left for the family at www.dahnandwoodhouse.com

Gary was born on June 17, 1950 in Ottumwa, IA, and he was the son of Billy E. and Nadine M. (Teter) Young.  He grew up on his family’s farm east of Coon Rapids and graduated from Coon Rapids High School in 1969.  He married his high school sweetheart, Marcia Andersen on August 2, 1970 at Ascension Lutheran Church in Coon Rapids. After Gary graduated with honors with an Associate’s Degree in Auto Mechanics at Iowa Central Community College in Ft Dodge, they moved back to the Young family farm near Coon Rapids. He was employed at GM dealerships in Carroll, Audubon and Jefferson. Robison Garage and Garst and Thomas Hybrid. After 1976 when their daughter Amanda Amy was born, he started his 40 career with John Deere at Malcom &Thompson in Coon Rapids and Puck/ Horizon Equipment in Audubon.  Gary and Marcia built a home in Coon Rapids where they lived for 40 years. In 2016 they built their dream retirement home on his grandparent’s acreage, where he developed his own personal wildlife refuge and enjoyed having the opportunity to shoot turkey from his garage and deer at his pond.  As a young Boy Scout, Gary developed a strong sense of patriotism and dedication to his country.  He was a proud lifetime member of the NRA and achieved Boone and Crockett recognition.   Hunting, fishing and conservation were his passion, especially hunting geese and ducks, deer and wild turkey, with his close friends Jon & Denny.  He and Marcia loved fishing, and though the big Ontario lakes were a favorite, he spent his best hours at his farm pond fishing with his beloved grandkids and watching his yellow lab, Ty, swim happily.

Gary is survived by his wife of 51 years, Marcia and their daughter Amanda and son-in-law, Nathan Cunningham of Boone; granddaughter Alexandria and grandson Morgan; his mother-in-law Mary Andersen of Coon Rapids; sister Rita Erickson (Gary) of West Des Moines, IA; two brothers: Leslie Young (Linda) of Madrid and Larry Young of rural Coon Rapids; two sisters-in-law Twila Lange (John) of Albert City and Donna Pevestorf (Doug) of Coon Rapids; and many nieces, nephews, and cousins.

Gary was preceded in death by his parents Billy and Nadine Young; his father-in-law Arnold Andersen; a sister Ruby Smits and her husband Richard; and his grandparents Wilbur and Grace (Teter) Fohey, and Frank and Dollie Young of Missouri.