Eugene Haberl, Leroy Venteicher, Larry Genzen, Larry Witt, Darryl Jahn, Roger Hagedorn,
Norman Vandehaar
Norman Gene Vandehaar
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to the Spencer Sacred Heart
Church, or the National Diabetes Association. Since it was important to him,
his children request that you recycle an old greeting card, add a cute note to
it, and use the money you saved on a new card for a donation to your favorite charity.
Norman Gene Vandehaar, age 91, passed away on Thursday, September 5, 2019, at
the Spencer Hospital in Spencer, Iowa, surrounded by his loving family. Norman
was born on July 18, 1928, to William and Carrie Vandehaar, the eighth of nine
children and was raised on a farm near Mitchellville, Iowa.
Norman attended country school, Woodville No. 4, through 8th grade, and
graduated from Mitchellville High School in 1946. He was president of his
Senior Class, lettered in football, basketball, and baseball, and was cast in
two class plays. He served in the U.S. Army from 1946-48 with a field artillery unit in South Korea.
Norman graduated from Iowa State University in 1952 with a degree in
Agriculture Education. During college and vacation times, he drove truck on a
bread route and worked as a postal worker, carpenter, Western Union messenger, and as a farm hand.
Norman married his high school sweetheart, JoAnn Ryan in May of 1950 at the
Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in Colfax, Iowa. Together they lived in
Des Moines for two years while Norman commuted to Iowa State to finish his degree.
Norman and JoAnn moved to Manning, Iowa, where their two sons, Mark and Kent
were born, and he taught Vocational Agriculture (Voc Ag) for four years. His
teaching continued for six years in Atlantic, Iowa, during which time he served
as president of the Iowa Voc Ag Teachers Association. Norman often spoke of the
many exceptional young men he was fortunate to have in his Voc Ag classes over
the years. While in Atlantic, he officiated for girls and boys high school
basketball games, served as President of the Jaycees, was a Rotary Club member,
and a member of the Atlantic Golf & Country Club.
In 1965, Norman left teaching and was employed by Henningsen Steel Products, a
construction company in Atlantic. In 1966, he moved his family to Spencer,
Iowa, to open a branch office for the company. He managed that office for 20
years and ended up purchasing the business, changing the name to Vandehaar
Steel Builders. He and JoAnn operated their new business together for 10 years.
Throughout that time, the design-build construction business included
manufacturing plants, office buildings, retail stores, churches, automobile and
implement dealerships, warehouses, and mini-storage facilities, many of which
are still viable today. Norman held a great respect and was grateful for the
repeat business he was awarded from the highly successful companies in
Northwest Iowa as they continued to expand.
In Spencer, Norman's dedication to his community continued. He served on the
Sacred Heart School Board, the Sacred Heart Church Building and Grounds
Committee, and was an usher and a lector at church. He was a Jaycee member, and
served on the board for Spencer Industries for 13 years and the Chamber of Commerce for 7 years.
Norm's love of golf was evident as a 50-year member of the Spencer Golf and
Country Club, serving 2 years as president and also served 3 years on the board of the Iowa Golf Association.
Norman and JoAnn sold their construction firm in 1994. Together they purchased
a winter home at Olde Hickory Golf & Country Club in South Ft. Myers,
Florida. The love of his life, JoAnn, passed away there in 1997, and Norman
continued to split his time between Spencer and Ft. Myers until his death.
One of his great golf memories was, at age 85, scoring an eagle on the tough
#18 hole at Olde Hickory, after bouncing the ball off the wooden steps of the
huge sand bunker that protected the green.
He often said that any successes he had were greatly influenced by the things
he learned about life while being raised on an Iowa farm.
Norman is survived by his two sons Mark (Ann) Vandehaar of Spencer, Iowa, and
Dr. Kent (Sheri) Vandehaar of Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin. He will be greatly
missed by his grandchildren: Ryan Vandehaar of Seattle, Washington, Adam (Dani)
Vandehaar of Des Moines, Iowa, Dr. Jason (Heather) Vandehaar of Madison, Wisconsin,
Eric Vandehaar of Denver, Colorado, Dr. Catherine Vandehaar of Hood River, Oregon,
Samuel Vandehaar of Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin; and great-grandchildren: Lukas
of Seattle, Washington, and Henry and Jack of Madison, Wisconsin. He is also
survived by his sister, Vivian (John) Thompson of Des Moines, Iowa; and several
nieces and nephews. Norman was preceded in death by his wife, four brothers, and three sisters.
The family wishes to express our deepest appreciation to Dr. William Benson,
and the nurses and staff at Spencer Hospital for their excellent care and compassion during Norm's passing.
https://www.warnerfuneralhome.com/obituaries/norman-gene-vandehaar
SERVICES
A private family service will be held Saturday, September 28, at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Spencer, Iowa.
Friends and family are invited to a celebration of life and light luncheon to
be held at the Spencer Golf and Country Club, 12 - 3:00 p.m., on Saturday, September 28.
OFFICIATING Father Tim Hogan
INTERMENT Riverside Cemetery, Spencer, Iowa
JoAnn Vandehaar
JoAnn Vandehaar, 68, of Spencer, Iowa, died Sunday at her residence in Fort Meyers, Florida.
Services will be at 10:30 a.m. Thursday at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in
Spencer. Burial will be in Riverside Cemetery. Visitation will begin at 10 a.m.
Wednesday, with the family present from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. and a vigil service
at 8 p.m., at the Baumgarten Funeral Chapel of Spencer.
Sioux City Journal, February 11, 1997
Miss Jo Ann Ryan Becomes Bride
Miss Jo Ann Ryan, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Paul Ryan of Mitchellville, was
married to Norman G. Vandehaar, also of Mitchellville, Saturday morning in
Immaculate Conception Church in Colfax.
The bride's sister, Miss Geraldine Ryan was maid of honor.
Miss Ruth Purinton of Littleton, New Hampshire, and Miss Mary Louise Johnson of
Monmouth, Illinois, were bridesmaids. Nancy Snell of Des Moines was flower girl.
Don Vandehaar of Des Moines attended his brother, Ralph Vandehaar and Herbert Vermie of Mitchellville were ushers.
Des Moines Tribune, May 31, 1950
Complete Plans For Night School at Manning
Final plans for this year's adult agricultural night school have been
completed, according to Norman Vandehaar, agriculture instructor.
Begins October 1
The first of the series will begin on Wednesday evening, October 1st, at the
high school. The first part of each of ten meetings will be devoted to a film
of general interest. After the meetings, refreshments will be served by the Manning Chamber of Commerce.
Weekly meetings are scheduled as follows:
October 1, Farm Outlook. E.D. Stoneberg, Denison, speaker.
October 8, Hybrid Hog Production. A supervisor from Farmers Hybrid Hogs at Hampton, Iowa, will speak.
October 15, Cattle Feeding. Rex Beresford, Iowa State College, is listed as speaker.
October 22, Buying a Farm and Buy a House.
October 29, Milking Parlor. A representative of a separator firm will give information on dairying.
November 5, Farm and Highway Safety Speakers will be Norman Vandehaar and a law officer.
November 12, Grass Silage. A panel of Manning farmers will express their views
on making grass silage. November 19. Hybrid Chickens.
November 26, Income tax. A farm income tax authority will be guest speaker.
Carroll Daily Times Herald, September 25, 1952
Norman Vandehaar Holds District Office
Norman Vandehaar, former Manning agriculture teacher, has been elected
president of the Southwest district of the Iowa Vocational Agriculture Teachers Association.
The district presidents serve on the executive committee with three state
officers and H.T. Hall, supervisor of Vocational Agriculture in Iowa.
Carroll Daily Times Herald, July 20, 1956
Elected Ag Teacher
Norman Vandehaar, Atlantic High School agriculture instructor has been elected
president of the Junior Chamber of Commerce here, succeeding Don Henningsen.
Daily Nonpareil, May 7, 1961