HEIKENS, Bennie 1921-2014

HEIKENS, RISIUS, SENTS

Posted By: Tammy (email)
Date: 12/11/2014 at 20:12:33

Bennie Edward Heikens, 93, of Wellsburg, passed away peacefully Wednesday, December 10, 2014, at the Israel Family Hospice House in Ames, Iowa. Funeral services will be held at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, December 13, 2014, at the Aplington Baptist Church with Pastor Elton LaBree officiating. Burial will follow in the Pleasant View Cemetery near Aplington. Visitation will be held from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m. on Friday at the Doyen-Abels Funeral Home in Wellsburg. A memorial fund has been established.

Bennie was born August 25, 1921, in Wellsburg, Iowa, to Henry and Anna (Risius) Heikens. He attended Shiloh #8 Country School and graduated from Wellsburg High School. On February 19, 1947, he married Loretta Sents at the home of her parents near Aplington, Iowa. The couple farmed near Buck Grove and later moved to the Heikens' family farm south of Wellsburg. Bennie cherished 50 wonderful years of marriage with his beloved wife until her passing on May 11, 1997. A member for 67 years and deacon of the Aplington Baptist Church, he was a man of prayer and daily Bible reading. Bennie loved farming and raising horses, purebred Hereford cattle and sheep. He made handcrafted jewelry boxes, play dish cupboards, and other wooden gifts for his children and grandchildren. In later years, he enjoyed helping with his daughter Darlene's wooden Christmas craft gifts.

Survivors include his children, Eunice (Bruce) Bassler of Ames, Jan (Glenn) Behrends of Waverly, Kent (Sarah) Heikens of Ames; son-in-law, Allen Twedt of West Burlington; sister, Betty Bunger of Wellsburg; brother-in-law, Lester (Juanita) Sents of Aplington; sister-in-law, Bertha Sents of Wellsburg; grandchildren, Nathan (Sandy) Twedt, Aaron (Melynda) Twedt, Nikki Twedt, Erika (David) Kidd, Evan (Bethany) Bassler, Zach (Sara) Behrends, Travis (Krista) Behrends, Brett (Kelly) Behrends, Ellen Heikens, Kelly Heikens, Jack Heikens; great grandchildren, Jenna, Alyssa, and Benjamin Twedt, Theodore Kidd, Annika, Zane, and Mya Behrends, Porter and Paxton Behrends, Hudson and Harper Behrends.

In addition to his wife, Loretta, his daughter, Darlene Twedt, his parents, his brother, Julius Heikens, and several brothers-in-law, sisters-in-law, nephews and nieces, preceded him in death.

--Abels Funeral Homes (www.abelsfuneralhomes.com)