Kenneth Sherer

Kenneth K. Sherer, age 99, of Glidden, Iowa, died unexpectedly on Thursday, December 1, 2011 at St. Anthony Regional Hospital in Carroll, Iowa. Funeral services will be held at 10:30 A.M. on Monday, December 5, 2011 at the Glidden United Methodist Church with Rev. Lorinda Hoover officiating. Friends may call at the Dahn and Woodhouse Funeral Home in Glidden after 4:00 P.M. on Sunday where there will be a prayer service held at 6:30 P.M.. The casket will be moved to the church at 8:30 A.M. on Monday where visitation will resume until the time of service. Organist for the service will be Doris Bentley and soloists will be Gary Spivey and Mary Ross. Casket bearers will be Bob Van Horn, Dennis Jorgensen, Karl Jorgensen, Verlin Breon, Jim Irlmeier, and Calvin Hughes. Honorary casket bearers will be Don Jorgensen, Joel Shaner, David Vinton, Kim Smith, Bill Gregory, Elmer Peters, Louis Livingston, and Don Pottroff. Burial will be in the Lanesboro Cemetery with military honors conducted by the Merle Hay Post of the American Legion. Born on March 1, 1912 at Lanesboro, Iowa, he was the son of Emil and Gertrude (Shoemaker) Sherer. Kenny as he was known to most spent his childhood and young adult years farming with his father. He graduated with the class of 1926 from Lanesboro High School. He worked in Carroll f or the government establishing the acreage in farm fields from aerial photos. His mathematical skills served him well as most fields were oddly shaped so exact math had to be used to estimate the number of acres in each field. Ken enlisted in the United States Army in 1942. He married his long time girlfriend, Genevieve Jorgensen, while on furlough on November 21, 1942. He then worked as a pharmacist for four years at the 136th Station Hospital 60 miles north east of London, England. After the war Kenneth and Genevieve made their home in Glidden where they raised two daughters, Mary Alice and Karla. Kenneth worked in the First National Bank as a cashier for 30 years and also served on the Board of Directors. He has been a member of Methodist Church for 89 years, serving as its treasurer for 22 years. He was the oldest American Legionnaire in Glidden. He served as “Grand Marshall” of the Glidden Memorial Day Parade in 2003. He served on the Senior Housing Association Board for many years. He was active in many school and community events and especially enjoyed attending his high school class reunions, the last one being his 84th. Known for his integrity, Ken served as executor for many family estates. He served as pall bearer for over 200 people, he served on the Glidden School Board, and he was honored to receive Glidden’s leading citizen award in 1974. Kenny’s special hobbies included years of coin collecting, playing cards, gardening, family vacations, and watching his beloved St. Louis Cardinals and Iowa Hawkeyes. He particularly looked forward to the 10 A.M. “Coffee Club” gatherings at the home of Cal Hughes. He will always be remembered for his funny stories, quick wit and amazing memory. Survivors include his two daughters: Mary Alice Spivey and her husband Gary of Bellevue, Nebraska, and Karla Wherland and her husband Bill Minneapolis, Minnesota; five grandchildren: Brandon Boice of St. Paul, Minnesota, Emi Spivey of Omaha, Nebraska, Gina Simpson of Oakdale, Minnesota, Jenna and Meredith Spivey of Los Angeles, California; a brother-in-law Karl Jorgensen of Fonda, Iowa; a sister-in-law Mary Sherer of Indianola, Iowa; nephews: Kim Smith and his wife Mary of Omaha, Nebraska, Don Jorgensen and his wife Dorothy of Lanesboro, Iowa, John Barber and his wife Tove of Copenhagen, Denmark, Dennis Jorgensen and his wife Crystal of Lake City, Iowa; and nieces: Kathy Shaner and her husband Joel of Cummings, Iowa, Marlys Vinton and her husband Dave of Indianola, Iowa, and Ann Link and her husband Cub of Sacramento, California. Kenneth was preceded in death by parents, his wife Genevieve in 1989, two sisters: Fern Sherer and Zeline Smith, and a brother Warren.