RALPH F. HENRY, Sr.

HUFFMAN, HENRY, ACKERSON, JAEGER, NELSON, ELY, GOOD, DEYARMAN, CZERNIEC, TREXLER

Posted By: Mary Durr (email)
Date: 7/16/2003 at 19:42:24

Ralph F. Henry, Sr.

Telegraph Herald - Wednesday, June 11, 2003

Ralph F. Henry, Sr., 56, of 502 Wilson St., was abruptly taken from this life at 10:12 a.m. Saturday, June 7, 2003, at Trinity Regional Hospital, Fort Dodge, Iowa.

Services will be at 10 a.m. Thursday at Sacred Heart Church. Burial will be in Dubuque Memorial Gardens, south of Dubuque, where military rites will be accorded by the Tri-State Vietnam Veterans. Friends may call from 3 to 8 p.m. today at Behr Funeral Home, 1491 Main St., where there will be a parish wake service at 4 p.m.

He was born Aug. 20, 1946, in Indiana County, Pa., son of Walter T. and Velma (Huffman) Henry. He married Charlotte Ackerson, and later June Jaeger and then Vicki Nelson.

He attended Fort Dodge Senior High School. He served 18 months with the Army during the Vietnam War in Cu Chi, Vietnam. He was awarded the Purple Heart and most recently, after many years of waiting, he received the Bronze Star Award in July 2001.

Following his tour of duty, he worked at the former Trausch Baking Co., Dubuque. Ralph was employed for 30 years with John Deere Dubuque Works.

He was a member of Sacred Heart Parish; a life member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 1856, of Fort Dodge; and the VFW Post 9663, Dubuque. He also was a member of the United Automobile Workers Local 94, and a former member of the Moose Lodge.

Ralph was a Boy Scout Leader of Troop 48. He was an avid sports fan. His favorite teams were the Pittsburgh Steelers, Pittsburgh Pirates and the Iowa Hawkeyes. He loved fishing and hunting and was most recently intrigued by antique and classic cars.

Ralph considered spending time with his children and grandchildren to be most important.

Surviving are a daughter, Brenda R. Henry, of Dubuque; four sons, Wayne C. (Michelle) Ely, of Sioux City, Iowa, Ralph F. (D'anna) Henry, Jr., of East Dubuque, Ill., Michael E. (Heather) Henry, of Dubuque, and Walter T. (Jody) Henry, of Fort Dodge; grandchildren, Kyle and Kody Ely, Chelsee Henry, Justin, Rebecca and Allisun Henry, Michaela Henry, and Tyler and Amanda Henry; three sisters, Mary Ellen Good (Bill Colgan), of Dayton, Pa., Delight Deyarman and Yvonne Czerniec, both of Homer City, Pa.; and a brother, Clair L. (Maxine) Henry, of Fort Dodge.

He was preceded in death by a grandson, Michael Seeley Henry; a sister, Violet Marie Trexler; four brothers, two brothers in infancy, and Walter E. Henry and Elmer Henry.