STEFFES, Norbert Bernard 1933-2006

STEFFES, HARBERL, KLOCKE, DOWNING, SCHROEDER, KOKENGE, WITTROCK, IRIMEIER, ERTZ, WERNIMONT

Posted By: S. Bell
Date: 12/20/2014 at 17:50:49

[Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier, Sunday, January 22, 2006]

NEW HAMPTON - Norbert "Nubs" Steffes, age 72 of New Hampton, died suddenly, Thursday, January 19, 2006, at Mercy Medical Center in New Hampton.

Norbert "Nubs" Bernard Steffes was born May 30, 1933, in Roselle, Iowa, the son of Joseph and Josephine (Harberl) Steffes. On October 16, 1954, he was united in marriage to his high-school sweetheart, Dixie Lee Klocke, at St. Peter and Paul Catholic Church in Carroll, Iowa. To this union four children were born.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Joseph & Josephine Steffes, a sister, Lucille Galloway, and son Randy Lee who was tragically killed in a car accident on April 6, 1988.

Nubs is survived by his wife of 51 years, Dixie; his son, Mark Joseph Steffes of Waterloo; two daughters, Terry Lynn Steffes of Cedar Falls and Kristy Ann Steffes and fiance Todd Ashton, both of Lakeville, MN; three grandsons, Jared and Jacob Downing, both of Waterloo and Jordan Downing of Cedar Falls; one granddaughter, Caitlyn O'Conner of Cedar Falls; one great-granddaughter, Jaiden Downing of Waterloo; two stepgranddaughters, Taylor and Grace Ashton of Lakeville, MN; one brother, Lawrence Steffes of Carroll, IA; and six sisters; Hilda Schroeder, Flossie Kokenge, Betty Wittrock and Berniece Irlmeier, all of Carroll, IA, Irene (Leo) Ertz of Manilla, IA and Tootie (Leo) Wernimont of Fonda, IA.

In 1952, Nubs graduated from Carroll High School. He started his own road building business with one Ford dump truck hauling gravel. In 1955 Nubs joined Highway Surfacers, Inc., of New Hampton within the Asphalt Paving Division as a crane operator. Nubs became Superintendent of Highway Surfacers, Inc., in 1969.

During his tenure as Superintendent the company was awarded and completed the nation's largest asphalt paving project. This two-year project broke new ground, covering eight miles of virgin interstate on what is now I-80 in Cedar County, Iowa. This project was completed in 1961 and 1962. Forty years later, in 2002, this 8-mile project on I-80 was named a "Perpetual Pavement," which is the nation's highest honor that is awarded to any road construction project. This project involved 400,000 tons of asphalt paving at 20'' thick in several overlays. Highway Surfacers, Inc., had three separate asphalt plants set up to feed this project, which Nubs supervised. This pavement is still there today serving the nation's interstate system!

Norbert remained with Highway Surfacers, Inc., until 1981, their final year in business.

In 1982, Nubs and Dixie started Steffes Construction and incorporated by June of 1983; and that year their son Randy joined the company. Nubs' teachings and Randy's talents were recognized in 1985, at Randy's graduation ceremony from Lincoln Technical Institute in Des Moines. Randy was awarded the "Mr. Lincoln Tech Award", which was the schools highest award given to his graduating class of over 300 students. After a couple of years working for the Iowa Department of Banking as a State Bank Examiner, the couple's oldest son Mark joined the company in 1984, making it a true family business.

Nubs had a quality of humor and humbleness about him that endeared both his employees and friends alike. There was never a time that any mechanical break-down on the job-site ever rattled Nubs. He took special joy in teaching his crew how to repair the equipment in order to finish their project in a timely fashion for the municipality, county, state or individual.

Nubs' proudest recent moments were his running and operating the asphalt paving machine for two weeks in 2004 to complete the new 8-lane All Weather Track at the New Hampton High School. The new two-plus-mile asphalt-paved Recreation Trail completed in 2005, also put a proud shine on Nubby's face.

Nubs was a member of Holy Family Parish in New Hampton. He was an avid hunter and fisherman. Nubs will be remembered as a loving husband, the greatest dad and grandpa in the world, and everyone's best friend.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be 10:30 a.m. Monday, January 23, 2006, at Holy Family Parish - St. Joseph Center, New Hampton, with burial in Calvary Cemetery, New Hampton.

Friends may call from 2-7 p.m. Sunday at the Hugeback & Chenoweth Funeral Home in New Hampton (641) 394-4334 where there will be a 4:00 p.m. Rosary and a 6:00 p.m. Scripture Service. Further visitation will be one hour prior to the service at the church on Monday.

Chickasaw Obituaries maintained by Lynn Diemer-Mathews.
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