John Keith Sickels

SICKELS

Posted By: lora stull (email)
Date: 9/30/2019 at 10:18:34

John Keith Sickels was born April 4, 1926 on the family farm near Kellerton to Sherman Rex and Fern Mildred Lavonne (Wehrle) Sickels. He graduated from Mount Ayr High School in 1946. John helped his father Rex on the farm through his school years. John, at an early age, accepted Christ as his Lord and Savior. He was a member of the First Christian Church in Mount Ayr.

On December 21, 1946 John was united in marriage to Norma Lee Bailey in Troy, Kansas and they later divorced. To this union six children were born, Cindy, Diane, Lana, Lora, Lesa and Jeff. They farmed in the Ringgold County area until 1964 when they settled on the farm where he currently resided, which has been owned by the Sickels family since 1947. On June 12, 1982 John married Juanita Beth Hacker in the First Baptist Church in Mount Ayr. In this marriage John gained four more daughters, Michell, D’Ambra, Tara and Jona.

John spent his whole life on the farm raising crops, hogs, and cattle. He also had his own bulldozing business, Sickels Dozing, that he operated while farming. John loved working the soil, whether it be farming or doing dozer work. Later in years he started working with wood and building items for Juanita, his children and grandchildren, and he was very proud of each project. He loved having his family visit him and to tell them all the stories of when he grew up.

John was preceded in death by his parents; five siblings, Dorothy (Dick) Mosier, Sam Sickels, Belle (Bob) Guthland, Leland Sickels and Shirley (Corwin) Karr; son-in-law, Charlie Case; great-granddaughter Alyssa Kuonen; grandson, Ames Fell.

Left to cherish his memory are his wife, Juanita; ten children, Cindy (Dick) Hill, Diane Case, Lana (Carey) Crowson, Lora (Rick) Stull, Lesa (Tim) Saville, Jeff (Amy) Sickels, Michell (Bruce) Ricker, D’Ambra (Benson) Hainline, Tara (Mike) Lee and Jona (Joe) Fell; two sisters, Kay (Cliff) Mosier and Martha (Robert) Palmer; one brother-in-law, Lyndon (friend Elaine) Hacker; three sisters-in-law, Leila (Marlin) Niday, Evelyn Sickels and Merilyn Sickels; 30 grandchildren, Hilare (Scott) Klinger, Nathan (Mimi) Hill, Alex (Heather) Hill, Suzi (Bill) Schaefer, Karen (Alan) Shannon, Nancy Elmer, Randi (Dan) Lancelotti, Michael (Andrea) Crowson, Mathew (Tracy) Crowson, Jonathan (Haley) Crowson, Steven (Tyra) Stull, Annie (Erin) Main, BayLee (Lisa) Stull, Joe Saville, Garrett (Traci) Reynolds, Ashley (Chris) Kuonen, Hannah Saville, Ben Saville, Maci (Andy) Binder, Zane Sickels, Jaren (Randie) Ricker, Lindsay Ricker, Blake Ricker, Jase (Chrisy) Lee, Brooke (Chris) Lee, Cale (Kate) Hainline, Brenon Hainline, Britt Fell, Sena Fell and Quinn Fell; 47 great grandchildren; and 1 great-great-grandchild.

Services are being held at the First Christian Church in Mount Ayr, Iowa on Thursday, August 4, 2016 at 11:00 a.m. with Pastor Darin Dolecheck officiating and Carey Crowson. Andy Binder and Grace Warin providing the music.

Casketbearers are Nathan Hill, Alex Hill, Michael Crowson, Mathew Crowson, Steven Stull, BayLee Stull, Garrett Reynolds, Ben Saville, Joe Saville, Cale Hainline, Brenon Hainline, Quinn Fell, Jase Lee, Jaren Ricker, Blake Ricker and Zane Sickels.

Honorary pallbearers are Dick Hill, Carey Crowson, Rick Stull, Tim Saville, Amy Sickels, Bruce Ricker, Benson Hainline, Mike Lee, Joe Fell and Jonathan Crowson.

The final resting place is Rose Hill Cemetery at Mount Ayr, Iowa. A memorial fund has been established to the First Christian Church in Mount Ayr, Iowa.