John “Jack” G. Longnecker

John G. “Jack” Longnecker, age 91, of Carroll passed away on Friday, February 21, 2020 at Garden View Assisted Living in Carroll.

Mass of the Christian Burial will be celebrated at 10:30 A.M. on Friday, February 28, 2020 at St. John Paul II Parish – Holy Spirit Church in Carroll with Fr. Kevin Richter as Celebrant. Lectors for the Mass will be Dave Rupiper and Scott Cawley. Gift bearers will be Jill Okken, Kadence Okken, and Jack Weeks. Eucharistic Minister will be Tim Fitzpatrick.  Music for the Mass will be by Kate Cuddy assisted by Jane Forbes, Mary Claire Vaughn, Katie Fitzpatrick, Ann Fitzpatrick, and Kathleen Macke as Cantor. Pall Bearers will be Ryan Cawley, Scott Cawley, Dennis Lappe, Cory Okken, Jason Weeks, and Mark Werner. Burial will be in the Mt. Olivet Cemetery in Carroll with military honors conducted by the Carroll American Legion. An honor guard will be formed at the church by the Iowa Sherriff’s and Deputies Association and local Carroll Law Enforcement.

Friends may call at St. John Paul II Parish – Holy Spirit Church in Carroll after 5:00 P.M. on Thursday where there will be a Christian Wake Service at 7:00 P.M. followed by a Rosary led by the Carroll Knights of Columbus. The casket will be moved to Holy Spirit Church at 9:30 A.M. on Friday where visitation will resume until 10:15 A.M. Funeral arrangements are under the direction of the Dahn and Woodhouse Funeral Home in Carroll and online condolences may be left for the family at www.dahnandwoodhouse.com. Memorials may be made to St. John Paul II Parish – Holy Spirit Church or Kuemper Catholic Schools.

John Gregory “Jack” Longnecker was born on June 2, 1928 on his family’s farm south of Fonda, Iowa, to Roy and Cora (Lilly) Longnecker.  Jack was the youngest of nine children.  He attended country school and graduated from Our Lady of Good Council Catholic High School in Fonda in 1946.  Following high school, Jack farmed with his father near Fonda.  In January 1950 (during a canasta card game night with a group of friends), Jack was introduced to Mary Ann Werner, an elementary school teacher from Dedham.  After months of courting and dancing at the Sunset Night Club in Fonda, they were married on September 25, 1950 at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Dedham by Rev. Henry Pick.  In March 1951, Jack entered the United States Army and served with the 24 ^th infantry division in Korea.  Following his honorable discharge in December of 1952, Jack and Mary Ann made their home near Varina, Iowa, farming until 1961.

In January 1962, Jack was hired by the Carroll County Sheriff’s Department as the lone Deputy Sheriff, a position which included taking up residence in the jailhouse.  In June 1963, Jack was appointed Sheriff by the Carroll County Board of Supervisors following the death of Sheriff Leonard Hinze.  He and his family eventually moved to the house they built in 1965 on the south edge of Carroll, where he lived until May of 2019.  Jack served as Sheriff for 29 years, running unopposed for seven terms.  He retired December of 1992.  He was elected President of the Iowa State Sheriff’s and Deputies Association in 1984 and remained a lifetime member.  He was a member of Holy Spirit Parish, Carroll Knights of Columbus, Carroll American Legion, and the Carroll Elks Lodge where he and Mary Ann danced and socialized on most Saturday nights.

Jack was a devoted and loving family man as well as a dependable and loyal friend to all who knew him.  He and Mary Ann raised their 5 children at their “happy place” of 830 E. Anthony where friends and family gathered for many occasions.  He possessed a remarkable sense of humor and was quick with the one-liners.  He enjoyed the simple pleasures of mowing his yard, listening to country and big band music on his porch and in stereo on transistor radios throughout his home.  He also enjoyed the beauty of the country landscape and cornfields around his home, as well as the beautiful sunsets that showed the brilliant colors in the sky.  Jack rarely missed The Lawrence Welk Show on Saturday evenings, before slipping into his dancing shoes and heading out with Mary Ann to the Elks Lodge, the Starline Ballroom, the Arcadia Legion, or wherever the big band music was playing.  He was also an avid fan of the local high school sports’ teams year-round, often attending games or listening to the broadcasts on the local radio station.

After he retired, Jack continued to meet the “gang” for coffee at the Carroll County courthouse on weekday mornings and frequented the Carroll Rec Center for a little exercise followed by a lot of hot tub and sauna.  In later years he enjoyed following the Iowa Hawkeyes, Iowa State, and UNI football and basketball teams on TV.

In the years after Mary Ann’s passing in 1998, Jack shared many dances and a special friendship with Elaine Schwaller, who treated him to home cooking, accompanying him to the Tuesday evening happy hours at the Swizzle Stick, the Moose Lodge, and The Still in Templeton on the weekends.

In May 2019, Jack became a resident of Garden View Assisted Living Community in Carroll and truly lived life in full bloom surrounded by wonderful people and a caring and supportive staff.

Jack was proud of his Fonda roots and to call Carroll his home since 1962.  He was honored to serve his country as well as the people of Carroll County, and he was forever grateful for their support and friendships over the past 58 years.

Those left to cherish Jack’s memory include his children, Janine Weeks of Marion, IA, Carol Rupiper (Dave) of Johnston, IA, Mary Cawley (Scott) of Urbandale, IA, Ted Longnecker (Georgette) of Johnston, IA; four grandchildren: Jason Weeks (LeAnna), Jill Okken (Cory), Ryan Cawley and Alena Longnecker; four great-grandchildren: Kadence and Kiernan Okken, Jack and Emma Weeks; special friend, Elaine Schwaller of Templeton, sisters-in-law: Annabelle Snyder and Dardy Werner of Carroll, and many nieces, nephews, and cousins.  Jack was preceded in death by his parents Roy and Cora, brothers: Edmund and Lucian; sisters: Evelyn, Helen and Edna Longnecker, Pearl Wilschutz, Osabelle Minnihan and Margaret Jones; his wife of 48 years, Mary Ann (5-30-1998) and son, Dan (7-23-2018).

Jack’s family wishes to sincerely thank the Carroll County Community, the staff of Garden View Assisted Living, and Kindred Hospice Services for the love and kindness they have bestowed upon Jack and his family.