Brian Herman
HERMAN, ZECHIN, NIEBRUEGGE, KOEHLER, MCCAULEY
Posted By: Sarah Fletcher (email)
Date: 11/12/2021 at 09:50:47
Brian Herman, 57, passed away on Monday, October 25, 2021 at University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics. He was born in Des Moines, Iowa on October 26, 1963.
Local funeral services were held at 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday, October, 27, 2021 at St. Raphael Orthodox Church, 722 E. College Street in Iowa City. A time of gathering was held two hours prior to the service from 5-7:00 p.m.
Divine Liturgy was sung at 10:00 a.m. on Thursday, October 28, 2021 at St. Raphael Orthodox Church. A Mercy Meal followed in the church fellowship hall.
Burial took place at 1:00 p.m. on Friday, October 29, 2021 at Holy Archangel Michael & All Angels Skete in Weatherby, Missouri.
People who are left with precious memories of Brian are: his wife, Angela Herman; his son, Jonathan Herman; his mother, Bernice Herman; his sister, Laura (Kevan) Zechin; his nephews: Kevan (Tamara) Zechin Jr., Ken Zechin, Kyle Zechin, & Kirby Zechin; his nieces: Larisa Zechin, Lauren Zechin, Laurel Zechin, & Lauretta Zechin; his great-nephew, Kevan Zechin III; his cousin, Diane (Kurt) Niebruegge; his aunt, Robbie (Jerry) Koehler; his cousins: Rod (Pam) McCauley & Craig McCauley; and many other family and friends. We will miss his commitment, humor and kindness.
Some of those precious early memories were recounted by his older sister Laura:
Brian always loved mushroom hunting in the midst of spring flowers in the timber with his mom. Brian thrived on helping his dad, Ken Herman grow vegetables and shoveling snow with him—the solidarity of providing and doing good work.
He loved having a hand in farming with Grandpa Howard McCauley, walking beans with many, many trips to Cambridge for ice cream.
Brian took joy in receiving the love baked into Grandma Marjorie McCauley's hand-painted Christmas cookies.
Brian was just a young child when he rode one of the steam engines with Grandpa Archie Herman at Mount Pleasant Old Threshers. His grandpa beamed that he could take his grandson to experience a steam tractor like the threshing crews he was part of when growing up.
Grandma Mabel's garden and chickens were a playground for young Brian as he helped her pick berries and delighted in hiding under the asparagus bushes. The Herman homestead was so alive.
Playing in the orchard and in the root cellar and watching the bird feeders with sister Laura and cousin Diane made that homestead such a wonderful place!
Brian and sister, Laura loved playing outdoors at the acreages where they grew up—sledding on the big hill, making a playhouse out of an old milkhouse, hiking to the White Oak Creek. Country kids are always each other's companions.
When Laura married Kevan Zechin, Brian gained his first brother. They enjoyed talking backpacking and driving an old car off-road. They even worked together at a box company where they were called the Smith Brothers because of their beards.
Brian loved country living and raised chickens with an infamous big black rooster. He drove his old red Chevy pickup.
He and cousin, Diane Stanley loved to chase the hot air balloons at Indianola.
Music was always important to Brian. He often played guitar with his parents on the front porch, Dad with a bass and Mom with her dulcimer.
Brian had that deliciously joyful "Herman Laugh," that he shared with his dad, his grandpa Archie, and so many of the Herman boys. The Herman family reunion was a place full of that wonderful laugh.
Brian backpacked with the young Zechin family in the Stephens State Forest. Little Kevan Jr. and Larisa had their own tiny backpacks with their own snacks and water. Later on, the Zechin family with Jr., Larisa, Lauren & Ken backpacked with Brian and Angela at Indian Cave State Park in Nebraska. Our hiking group grew!
Brian married Angela on January 2, 1988, a year and a half after meeting during a walk to the dorm in Omaha during college at Grace. They spent time getting to know many wonderful people in Nebraska, Illinois, and Iowa where they lived throughout the years. He worked in public, law, and corporate libraries, helping to gather or analyze research as needed to help people with their questions or business development. He also enjoyed carpentry and ran his own business for a time. He felt it was very important to provide for his family’s needs.
During a time of commuting to work in Omaha, Brian and nephew Kevan Jr. had great times sharing an apartment, enjoying Japanese food and movies. It was always a joy to return home where his family awaited him.
As remembered by his wife Angela, Brian was happiest when he was spending time with their son Jonathan, holding him as an infant, reading to him, riding the trains in Chicago on their early father-son trips, playing Minecraft, and connecting with his family while playing board games. He had fond memories of going together as a family to piano competitions and lessons in Nebraska, and most of all, a trip to Vienna to accompany Jonathan and Dr. Paul Barnes’ UNL piano studio during Jonathan’s teenage years. Since December, he and Jonathan commuted together to work in Marshalltown and Bondurant, often completing the day with epic grocery shopping trips together.
Brian felt at peace in nature, walking among the trees while listening to the symphony of birds, hearing the rushing of water from a creek or ocean waves, and camping out in a place of quiet and beauty.
Brian had a deep reservoir of love for his wife, Angela and expressed that in so many meaningful ways. During their almost 34 years of marriage, they most enjoyed going for walks together. A couple of weeks before he passed into his Savior’s arms, he purposefully devoted a whole day to his wife’s birthday…hiking, eating together, sitting together, and driving around looking at the beauty of nature—spending quality time to make his wife feel special.
He had a fun time going to holiday reunions with his wife’s extended family, including his wife’s parents Menno and Susanna, and her siblings Sharlene, Deanna, & Leland and their families. He loved going to San Francisco to visit Jonathan at the Conservatory of Music, walking to Ocean Beach, spending time with his wife’s brother, Leland (Dasha), and visiting the place of rest of St. John the Wonderworker.
Brian (known as Father Maximos when celebrating Divine Liturgy behind the altar) loved the rich prayers and ancient traditions of the Orthodox Church. The Psalms—which lifted one’s eyes to God—were deeply meaningful to him. His heartfelt singing of prayers and scripture touched many.
May his memory be eternal!
Lensing Funeral & Cremation Service
Johnson Obituaries maintained by Cindy Booth Maher.
WebBBS 4.33 Genealogy Modification Package by WebJourneymen