Berry, Dennis LeRoy – 1943-2020

BELL, BERRY, BISHP, BUCKLIN, CARSON, HALTER, HOLLAND, JACOBS, MIHELICH, POSTMA

Posted By: Diana Wagner
Date: 7/13/2021 at 21:35:40

Dennis "Denny" LeRoy Berry, 77, of Cedar Rapids and formerly of Baxter, passed away peacefully at his home Friday, July 17, 2020. A memorial visitation will be from 10 to 11 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 1 at Restland Cemetery in Baxter. A graveside service will follow visitation and will begin at 11 a.m. Burial will follow in Restland Cemetery in Baxter.
Denny was born May 7, 1943, to Arthur and Deloris (Halter) Berry. He grew up in Baxter on the family farm and graduated from Baxter High School with the class of 1961. He shared many fond memories of his classmates, on and off the field. He excelled in sports, and was inducted into the Baxter Hall of Fame in 2013. (Go Bulldogs!) Following school, Denny joined the Air Force and was stationed at Malmstrom Air Force Base in Montana. After serving his country he returned to Iowa and married Rosalie (Postma) Berry and eventually settled down in Baxter with their children, Shelley, Scott, DeAnn and Dana. He loved working as a heavy equipment operator and was a member of the IUOE Local 234 Union. He worked in several different states, Texas, Nebraska, Arkansas, Florida, Minnesota and Iowa, however, he never missed the opportunity to drive up Main Street to see what was going on uptown. There was never a place he would go where we didn't run into someone that he knew. Big machinery and moving dirt was a lifelong passion as he worked for McAninch Corporation and Fagan Corporation for more than 40 years. Denny married Arlene Bell in 1984 and became a stepfather to Julie and Victor. The couple resided in Cedar Rapids. He loved sports, fishing, coon hunting, coyote hunting, going to auctions with Arlene, family reunions, having a cold one with his friends and was up for an adventure-anytime, anyplace. He raised coon hounds and had his favorites, Queenie and Hunter. He loved telling stories about his favorite football games, his softball days, his time in Montana playing ball and so much more. His welcoming smile and kind hearted teasing will be missed by us all.
Those left to cherish his memory are his wife of 36 years, Arlene Berry; children, Shelley (Mark) Carson, DeAnn (Doug) Bishop, Dana (Bryan) Bucklin and Victor (Kelly) Jacobs; grandchildren, Joseph, Sarah, Rachel, Bailey, Kaitlin, Nate, Mason, Nolan, April, Brian, Philip and Megan; several great-grandchildren; sisters, Jeanette (Jim) Holland and LuAnn Mihelich; many nieces, nephews and close friends. Denny was preceded in death by his parents; brother, Jan Berry; son, Scott Berry; daughter, Julie Jacobs; and his brothers-in-law, Jerry Bell, Larry Bell and Gary Bell.
Memorial contributions may be directed to Fredregill Funeral & Cremation Care, P.O. Box 86, Baxter, IA 50028.
Special thanks to the Grinnell and Cedar Rapids Unity Point Hospice employees.
Fredregill Funeral & Cremation Care has been entrusted with the care of Denny and his family.
Source: Newton Daily News; July 24, 2020