Joel Ray Koenig 1937 - 2019

SWANSON, KOENIG, MILLER

Posted By: Connie Swearingen (email)
Date: 9/6/2019 at 07:33:04

Onawa Democrat
3 July 2019

Joel R. Koenig, 81, of Whiting, Iowa, passed away Monday, June 24, 2019, at Burgess Health Center in Onawa, Iowa.

Funeral services will be 10:00 A.M. Friday, June 28, 2019, at the First Congregational Church, U.C.C. of Whiting, Iowa, with Rev. Nea J. Stepp officiating. Burial will follow in the Fairview Cemetery, Albaton, Iowa, with Masonic Services led by Attica Lodge AF & AM #502 of Sloan, Iowa.

Visitation will be 5:00 - 8:00 P.M. Thursday, June 27, 2019, at the Rush Family Chapel, Onawa, Iowa. Arrangements are under the direction of Rush Family Care Service, Onawa, Iowa.

Joel Ray Koenig was born September 26, 1937, to Carroll and Ina (Swanson) Koenig, in Sioux City, Iowa. Joel began school in Whiting and graduated from Sloan High School in 1955. After graduation, he owned and operated his own trucking business and farmed in Whiting and Sloan area for many years. He worked for multiple companies including King Transfer, Concrete Products and Western Iowa Co-op, and most recently, John Stensland Farms.

Joel was known to be a generous man, willing and able to help anyone with anything needed.

Joel developed a passion for trucks at a very young age as his father, Carroll, owned a trucking business. As a boy, he was always eager to be allowed to ride in his father’s trucks. When his sister was born, Joel insisted he didn’t need a “sitter” while his mother and sister were hospitalized. Instead, he rode every day in the truck with his father. He began assembling trucks from kits at a young age. He graduated to building very detailed, to-scale model trucks from scratch. Joel currently has an award-winning truck model displayed in the lobby of the American Truck Historical Society in Kansas City, Missouri.

Joel loved raising his two children, David and Diane, on the Koenig farm. As a boy, David tagged along on as many of his father’s trucking business trips as he could. Joel supported Diane in her love of all animals especially in her passion for horses and competitions.

Joel married Cheryl Miller on August 10, 1995, at the Little Brown Church in Nashua, Iowa. Together they built their happy life in Whiting surrounded by family and friends. Joel loved spending his time gardening, assembling truck models, and wood-working projects including hand-made wood toys he donated to the Gospel Mission.

Joel remained an active member in the community throughout his 50 year membership of the Sloan Masonic Lodge. He was a 50 year member of the First Congregational Church, U.C.C. of Whiting where he served as deacon and trustee. He also served as President of the Whiting Community Club and on the Monona County Fair Board.

Survivors include his wife, Cheryl Janene Koenig of Whiting, IA; children, David (Ann) Koenig of Austin, TX, Diane (Bud) Harris of Naples, FL, Chad (Bobbi Jo) Miller of Houston, TX, Matt (Ashley) Miller of Clive, IA; sister, Carolyn Jean (Roger) Adams of Whiting, IA; niece, Carol Linea Cooley of Lenexa, KS; grandchildren, Luke Koenig of Kansas City, KS, Grant Koenig of Wichita, KS, Chelsea Miller of Edgewater, FL, Hayden Miller of Spring, TX, Addison Miller of Clive, IA; bonus grandchildren, Miranda and Zach Biekert of Hooper, NE; sister in law, Jolene (Lon) Ulven of Milford, IA; many other relatives and friends.

He was preceded in death by his grandparents, Charles and Sena Koenig; Carl and Johanna Svensson; parents, Carroll and Ina Koenig; brother Wayne Koenig; infant child, Michael Koenig; nephew, Charles Jayson Cooley; brother in law, Neal Denney; parents in law, Vern and Mardell Denney.

Memorials in Joel’s memory are preferred and may be directed to the Gospel Mission of Sioux City, Iowa, the Whiting Public Library or Whiting First Congregational Church U.C.C.

Monona Obituaries maintained by Linda Ziemann.
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