Joe Roger Anholt (1920-2019)

ANHOLT, REEDER

Posted By: Ken Wright (email)
Date: 7/22/2019 at 07:43:16

Joe Roger Anholt was born on Jan. 31, 1920, on a farm near Boxholm, Iowa, to Oscar and Pearl Anholt. Joe had
five siblings: three older brothers Dean, Paul and Merle, a younger sister Betty and brother Bobby. Joe's mother Pearl passwed away shortly after Bobby's birth and his father subsequently married Ida Carlson. With the exception of Bobby, all have preceded Joe in death.
In those days, farming was hard physical work, and everyone in the family helped regardless of the age to help the family earn a living. Joe was out picking corn by hand at the age of 6, and later as an adult this background helped him win two National Cornhusking championships.
On Feb. 7, 1942, he married Evelyn Reeder. Evelyn's parents, Charley and Ada Reeder, were the two witnesses required by the state of Missouri where the wedding occurred. Joe gave the pastor five dollars as a gift for his part in officiating, which was considered a large sum of money at that time. The marriage lasted 77 1/2 years and was filled with an abundance of blessings and occasionally sadness.
In December 1941, Pearl Harbor was bombed. Joe prepared himself to serve his country by taking flying lessons as he planned to join the U.S. Air Force. However, Uncle Sam had other plans and "froze" him to farming as it was considered a necessary occupation to help win the war.
Joe was a progressive and innovative farmer. The modifications he made to a tractor were copied and reproduced by a tractor manufacturer. He built a hay feeder for his cattle that was more efficient than any other on the market, and it was copied by Iowa State University. Because the land he farmed was so wet, he had to tile many acres. After digging the ditches in which to lay the tile by using a ditch digger, the tile had to be placed in the ditches and covered by the soil which had been removed. Joe invented a device that he attached to his tractor that pushed all the dirt back into the ditches, thus eliminating the back-breaking work of shoveling the soil back into the ditches by hand. Some of the neighboring farmers were pleased to borrow his machine to refill their ditches. Joe was advised by an attorney to apply for patents on his inventions, but he thought farmers would rather make their own than spend hard-earned money on something that was so simple to make. However, what seemed too simple to Joe was not so easy for others.
In 1950, Joe and Evelyn had a life-changing experience. They became believers in the deity, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Joe and Evelyn were still farmers and parents, but now their ultimate goal was to live a life sharing the love of Christ. They helped establish the Evangelical Free Church in Fort Dodge, Iowa. They were instrumental in beginning the Christian School associated with that church, and helping to find the land, which now is the site of the largest Christian Camp in three states, called Hidden Acres.
Joe and Evelyn moved to Cedar Rapids, Iowa, in 1987 where Joe built their home on Hidden Hollow Lane at the age of 67. When their family expanded with the addition of Colby, his great-grandson, he decided to build a bigger home at the age of 80. Colby was the light of his life. He took Colby everywhere he went. He also qualified for and ran two Boston marathons in his 60s.
Surviving Joe is his wife, Evelyn; his sons, Maurice Anholt and Charles Anholt (Ruth); daughters, JoLynn Glanzer and Andrea Mosbach (Ed); his granddaughters, Heather Berge (Alex) and Amanda Marnach (Shane); grandson, Skylar Anholt; great-grandson, Colby Hutchinson; and great-granddaughters, Noelle Berge and Freya Marnach; and nieces, Glenda Eggerling, Ann Christiansen, Linda Blair and Marice Giesler.
Joe was preceded in death by his son-in-law, Donovan Glanzer and daughter-in-law, Catherine Anholt.
As a family, we thank the staff at Burger King on Edgewood Road, where he spent afternoons talking to his friends and telling them about Jesus.
Online condolences may be left for the family at www.teahenfuneralhome.com.
Cedar Rapids Gazette, July 22, 2019