Heckmann, Gary Lee - 1947-1975

HECKMANN, STEIERT, BUTIKOFER, SCHULTZ, ROSE, KOENIG, HAVILAND, NEY

Posted By: Connie Ellis (email)
Date: 7/16/2011 at 17:46:10

SOURCE: Schutte Funeral Home Brochure, October 26, 1975 and Postville, Iowa POSTVILLE HERALD, October 29, 1975
Contributor: Connie Ellis (Not related)

Funeral services were held for Gary Lee Heckmann, age 28, of rural Decorah, Iowa at the Zion Lutheran Church, Castalia, Iowa with Rev. Perry Brown officiating. Special music was provided by Rev. Gene Hermeier who was the solist. Burial was in the Postville, Iowa Cemetery. Casket Bearers were Robert Saboe, Dale Ellis, Steve Owen, Stephen Silver, Robert Hogan, Dean Teslow, and Larry Gelo.

Gary Lee Heckmann was the son of Arbie and Inez (Steiert) Heckmann. He was born August 25, 1947 at Postville, Iowa. He graduated from the Postville Community High School in the spring of 1965. He served in the U.S. Army for three years. On June 7, 1970, he was married to Linda Butikofer at the West Clermont Lutheran Church in Clermont, Iowa. Linda is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Reuben Butikofer of Clermont, Iowa. Gary and Linda became the parents of three daughters. Gary worked for the Northwestern Bell Telephone Company since his discharge from the service. They lived at Altoona, Iowa for two years and then moved to rural Decorah.

Gary was the victim of an accidental electrocution on Thursday, October 23, 1975 while working with several other Northwestern Bell Telephone Company employees near the Sylvan Torkelson farm located about nine miles east of Elgin, Iowa in Clayton, County. Clayton County authorities reported that Mr. Heckmann, Merrill Stein, and Bob Saboe were hooking a trailer to a truck when the truck's boom, which had a telephone pole attached, came in contact with a rural electric cooperative high voltage line. Mr. Heckmann was at the rear of the truck, hooking up the trailer when the pole came in contact with the line, electrocuting him. He was taken by the Muehlethaler Ambulance to the Elkader, Iowa Hospital where he was pronounced dead shortly after arrival. He is preceded in death by his father, Arbie, who passed away in 1966 and a brother Allan Heckmann who died in 1974.

Gary is survived by his wife, Linda, 3 daughters, Jennifer, age 3, Janette, age 16 months, and Joyelle, 12 days old; his mother, Donald Heckmann of Round Rock, Texas, John Heckmann of Miles, Iowa, Robert Heckmann and Leslie (Sherrill) Heckmann, both of Postville, Iowa, Neal (Karen) Heckmann of Oelwein, Iowa, and Stanley Heckmann of Bellevue, Nebraska; 5 sisters, Jean (Floyd) Schultz, Lake Mills, Wisconsin, Ann (Irey) Rose of New Hampton, Iowa, Zeta (James) Koenig of Hiawatha, Iowa, Twila (David) Haviland of Des Moines, Iowa, and Vicky (Lyle) Ney of West Union, Iowa.