Sidney J. Heitmeyer

Sidney J. Heitmeyer, 85, of Garner died Tuesday, October 10, 2017 at the Muse Norris Hospice Inpatient Unit in Mason City.

Funeral services will be held 10 A.M., Saturday, October 14th at the United Methodist Church in Garner with Rev. Paul Evans officiating. Military rites will be conducted by the Garner Veterans Ceremonial Unit. There will be a luncheon and a time of fellowship immediately following the service. Burial will be 2 P.M., Saturday at Oakland Cemetery in Beaman, Iowa. Following the burial, there will be a time of food and fellowship at Beaman Memorial Hall.


Visitation will be held from 4 to 7 P.M., Friday at the United Methodist Church in Garner and will resume one hour prior to services at the church.

Memorials may be directed to the family.

Sidney John Heitmeyer, the son of John and Tena (Dykstra) Heitmeyer, was born on February 9, 1932 in Sheldon, Iowa. He was baptized and confirmed in the Sheldon Christian Reformed Church in Sheldon, Iowa. He attended the rural country school thru the 7th grade and then attended the Sheldon Christian Schools graduating in 1951. He entered the Army in 1952 and served with the Famous 101st Airborne Division in Fort Breckenridge, Kentucky and was stationed there until his honorable discharge in 1954. While stationed in Kentucky he met Norma Jean Stiff. On December 17, 1954 they were married in Irvington, Kentucky. To this union two children were born, Brenda Jean and Bryan John. They enjoyed 40 wonderful years together traveling, bowling, and golfing until her death in 1995. Sid began his studies at Iowa State University in the agricultural field until an opening at the Ritter, IA Farmers Co-Op Society became available and thus began over a 45-year career with the Farmers Co-Op Associations. He worked at the Ritter, IA Co-Op – 3 years, Manager at the Somers IA Co-Op - 2 years, the Beaman Iowa Co-Op 21 years and the Garner, IA Co-Op (3 locations - Garner, Klemme, and Meservey) 22 years until his retirement in 1997. While a Co-Op manager he held various offices, and served on the boards at the Co-Ops, AGP and Land of Lakes. Upon retirement, he continued to help as interim manager in Kanawha and Dows for several years. He never missed a day of checking out the grain markets after he retired until his health began to fail in the final months. On December 21, 1996 he married Renee Marie Carolus in Garner, Iowa. They enjoyed a happy and rich life together traveling and enjoying their children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren. Sid enjoyed fishing, hunting, and camping in his younger years. He was an avid football fan, following the Minnesota Vikings, Green Bay Packers, Iowa State Cyclones and Iowa Hawkeyes which at times meant a lot of channel surfing. He also was an enthusiastic bowler and loved to play golf, and a card game of Up and Down the River with his buddies. In his retirement, he golfed at least one round every day, some days two rounds until his health began to fail the past two years. He was a devoted loving husband, father, grandfather and great grandfather and couldn’t wait to see all the little ones and take them for rides on his golf cart.

Sid was a member of the Garner United Methodist Church, serving on many committees. He also was a 35-year member of the Garner Lions Club, having received the high honor and distinction with the Warren Coleman Award, The Garner Golf Course and the WORM club (Wobbly Old Retired Managers) and over a 45-year member of the American Legion in Beaman.

He is survived by his loving families, his wife, Renee of Garner; his daughter, Brenda Heitmeyer of Beaman; daughter-in-law, Kim Heitmeyer of Gladbrook, IA; his grandchildren, Blair (Sarah) Sanderson of Denver, IA , John(Sarah) Sanderson of Janesville, IA , Mallory (Grant) Blomme of Memphis, MO, Tyler Heitmeyer of Gladbrook, IA and Morgan Heitmeyer of Des Moines; step-children, Chad (Lisa) Mull of Conrad IA, Justin Bolton (Jenny) of Minneapolis, MN, Darin (Nancy) Carolus of Reno, NV, Colin (Jenny) Carolus of Vinton, IA and Grant (Holly) Carolus of Waterloo; great grandchildren, Sophia, Brody, Sydney Sanderson and Annabelle, Nora Jean, Alaina Sanderson; step great grandchildren, Halley Bolton, Emily, Rachel Carolus, Austin, Ryan Carolus, Levi, Nolan Carolus; his sisters and brothers, Alice DenHartog of Sheldon IA, Karen (Dale) Boer of Sheldon, IA and Jr. (Joan) Heitmeyer of Albert Lea, MN; and numerous relatives, nieces, nephews and friends.

He was preceded in death by his parents; his first wife, Norma Jean; his son, Bryan Heitmeyer; step grandson, Ryan Bolton; two infant brothers, John Junior and Herman John Heitmeyer; a sister, Sandra Koele; a brother-in-law, Willard DenHartog; nephews, Curtis Koele and Dillon Hooyer.