Heikens, Burdette Norman – 1933-2012

BROCKMAN, CALHOUN, CORMACK, HEIKENS, ZIMMER

Posted By: Diana Wagner
Date: 7/16/2024 at 11:28:51

Burdette Norman Heikens, Carefree, AZ
Burdette (Burt) Heikens, 79, passed away peacefully on August 22, 2012 at the age of 79. He was the son of Harry and Agnes Heikens, born on February 6, 1933 in Spencer, Iowa. He grew up as a farm kid, helping with chores and attending Spencer High School where he graduated. After graduating, he attended Buena Vista University at the age of 16 in Storm Lake, Iowa. His college experience was interrupted when he honorably served as a Personnel Specialist in the U.S. Army from 1953 to 1955. Most of that service was in Japan. Due to other family military service, he came back to Iowa to help with the family farm and then returned to Buena Vista, completing a business degree in 1958. At Buena Vista, he met Phyllis Brockman and they married shortly after his graduation. Later, they would receive the Henry Olson Alumni Award from that institution for distinguished work and volunteer efforts. After leaving college, he joined American Republic Insurance, starting as a life underwriter in their Des Moines office and remaining a part of that company for 50 years. He rose to the rank of Executive Vice-President and Chief Operations Officer before retiring from that post in 1992. For the next 16 years, he continued as a member of the Board of Directors of that company. After retiring from full time work with American Republic, he and Phyllis moved from Ankeny, Iowa to Carefree, Arizona, where they resided for the rest of his life. He was an active member of the Desert Hills Presbyterian Church. Burdette was a talented woodworker, as both a furniture maker and bowl turner. He deeply loved his grandchildren Shawn and Amber, taking them annually on a southwestern educational trip and enjoying other visits with them. He collected Native American art, John Deere memorabilia, traveled extensively and was an avid reader.
Burdette is survived by his loving wife Phyllis as well as two children, daughter Jennifer Cormack and her husband Mike from Des Moines, Iowa and son Laird Heikens and his wife Michele from Timnath, Colorado. He had two grandchildren, Amber Heikens and Shawn Heikens who attend the University of Colorado and Colorado State University respectively. He is also survived by his brother Roger Heikens and sister in law Mary of Milford, Iowa, his sister Lois Calhoun and brother in law William of Knoxville, Tennessee, and sister Lynne Zimmer and brother in law Tom of Sioux Falls, South Dakota as well as many beloved nieces, nephews and special friends.
A celebration of life ceremony honoring Burdette will be held at Desert Hills Presbyterian Church (34605 N. Tom Darlington Drive, Scottsdale, Arizona 85262 at 2 p.m. on September 7, 2012. There will be a later ceremony at the family farm near Milford, Iowa at a time and date to be determined. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorials be made to Hospice of the Valley, 1510 E. Flower Street, Phoenix, AZ, 85014-5656.
Published in Des Moines (IA) Register; Sunday, September 2, 2012, page 8B