SHANKS, Duane E. 1927-2005

SHANKS, HARTWIG, TATUM

Posted By: County Coordinator
Date: 10/2/2011 at 22:09:56

Duane E. Shanks

NORA SPRINGS, IOWA — Duane E. Shanks, 78, of 318 N. Summit, Nora Springs, died Friday (Oct. 28, 2005) at the Mercy Medical Center-North Iowa in Mason City.

Funeral services will be held at 1:30 p.m. Wednesday. at the First United Methodist Church, 202 N. Hawkeye, Nora Springs, with the Rev. Jim Turner and the Rev. Jennifer Henry officiating. Interment will be in Park Cemetery, Nora Springs. Military honors will be by the American Legion Post 449 Nora Springs.

Visitation will be from 4 to 7:30 p.m. today at the Sheckler Colonial Chapel, 114 N. Hawkeye in Nora Springs, with a Masonic service at 7 p.m.

There will be additional visitation one hour prior to services on Wednesday at the church.

The family suggests memorials to Duane E. Shanks Memorial Fund.

Duane was born on January 19, 1927, in Nora Springs, the son of Kenneth and Vera (Tatum) Shanks.

Following high school he farmed with his father until entering the United States Army, serving from 1952 to 1954. Following induction, he was based in Kaiserslautern, Germany.

While in the service, he played on a traveling baseball team which traveled throughout Europe, playing teams on other bases and he made many lifelong friends. He also played baseball for Nora Springs Town Team and later played trombone for the Mason City Municipal Band.

He married LaBonna “Bonnie” Hartwig on Sept. 21, 1947, at St. Luke Lutheran Church, Nora Springs.

In 1954, they moved back to Nora Springs and resumed farming until her death in 1985.

He married Edna Mathers on July 19, 1986, at First United Methodist Church in Nora Springs and they farmed until retiring in 1989.

Duane was an avid Hawkeye fan, with a special interest in Iowa football. He also enjoyed fishing, bowling and spending the winters in Arizona with friends.

He was a member of Nora Springs Cooperative Board, Floyd County Mutual Board from 1966 to 1988, including 16 years as president of the board.

He was the public address announcer for Nora Springs football games many years. He was also a 50-year member of Nora Springs Rock-Sirus Lodge No. 294 and American Legion Post No. 449 and a member of St. Luke Lutheran Church and First United Methodist Church, Nora Springs.

Duane is survived by a son, Gary Shanks and his wife, Candy, of Bettendorf; and a daughter, Rhonda George and her husband, Scott, of Alleman; four grandchildren, Allison Shanks, Carolyn Shanks, Travis George and Andrew George; brother-in-law, Russ Ubben and his wife, Lorraine, of Dumont, and two sisters-in-law, Marilyn Cool and her husband, Ken, of Long Grove, and Beverly Coffey, of Nora Springs, and several nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his parents, his wife Bonnie (in 1985); and Edna (in 2005).

Sheckler Colonial Chapel, (641) 749-2210. wwwcolonialchapels.com.

[ Globe Gazette, Nov. 1, 2005 ]