Jerome Dominick "Ome" Jungers

BLOCK, JUNGERS, NIICHEL

Posted By: Connie Swearingen (email)
Date: 7/4/2020 at 18:31:30

Sioux City Journal
30 January 2009

HOSPERS, Iowa -- Jerome D. "Ome" Jungers, 91, of Hospers passed away suddenly Wednesday, Jan. 28, 2009, at Indian Hills Nursing and Rehab Center in Sioux City.

Services will be 10:30 a.m. Saturday at St. Anthony's Catholic Church in Hospers, with Archbishop Dennis Schnurr, the Rev. Paul Eisele and Deacon Ray Portz officiating. Burial will be in St. Anthony's Catholic Cemetery, with military rites. Visitation will be after 5 p.m. today, with the family present 5 to 8 p.m., a parish rosary at 5 p.m. and a Christian wake service at 7:30 p.m, at the church. Arrangements are under the direction of Vander Ploeg Funeral Home in Sheldon, Iowa. Condolences may be sent online to www.vanderploegfunerals.com.

Jerome Dominick "Ome" Jungers was born Nov. 15, 1917, to Felix and Johanna (Block) Jungers at their home four and one half miles northwest of Hospers, where the landfill is now located. His mother died in 1922, when he was five years old. He then moved with his dad and sister, Eleanor, to the family farm which was homesteaded by his grandfather, Dominic Jungers. He attended St. Anthony's Catholic School in Hospers through the eighth grade, then continued to help his dad on the farm.

He was united in marriage to Margaret Niichel on Feb. 5, 1940, at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Granville, Iowa. Later that year, he bought a truck to haul sand, livestock and grain for area farmers. In April 1944, he was drafted into the U.S. Navy during World War II. Leaving his wife and two small children, he served in the Pacific Theater's Islands of Okinawa, Guam, the Philippines and Japan.

A third child was born in May 1945, while he was in Japan. World War II ended in Europe on May 5, 1945 and in the Pacific on Sept. 7, 1945.

On Nov. 15, 1945, he was honorably discharged from the U.S. Navy. In January 1946, his dad retired and moved into Hospers. It was then that he moved his family to the Jungers' farm, where they lived for 62 years. For many years, he worked for Judson Wolf, with his farming, trucking and corn shelling. In later years, he continued the corn shelling business on his own, while working for Ron Ling Trucking from 1978 to 1992.

The couple moved from the farm to Fieldcrest Assisted Living in Sheldon, Iowa, in November 2007. In November 2008, he moved to Indian Hills Nursing and Rehab Center in Sioux City, where he lived with his wife until his death.

He was a member of St. Anthony's Catholic Church for 64 years and was presently a member of St. Patrick's Catholic Church in Sheldon. He was given the Pioneer Trucking Award in 1982. He was a member of Hospers American Legion and the Fraternal Order of Eagles. He enjoyed playing bingo, cards, Yahtzee and working the daily newspaper crossword puzzle. He belonged to a pitch club, pinochle club and the Horse Thief Card Club. In his younger years, he enjoyed hunting and fishing with his family and friends. Sunday mornings were very special to him when his children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren and friends would stop by for socializing.

He is survived by his wife, Margaret of Sioux City; six children, Paul Jungers of Oakland, Neb., Johanna Koob of Sioux City, Tom Jungers and his wife, Karin of Granville, Iowa, Fred Jungers and his wife, Elaine of Sheldon, Iowa, Terry Jungers and his wife, Carol of Hospers and Mark Jungers and his wife, Sheila of Sioux City; 20 grandchildren; 40 great-grandchildren; two great-great-grandchildren; his sister, Eleanor Schnurr of Hospers; two sisters-in-law, Florence and her husband, Al Fisher of Winner, S.D., and Wilma Niichel of Sheldon; a brother-in-law, Wilfred Niichel of Sheldon; and other relatives and friends.

He was preceded in death by his daughter, Betty Jungers in 2004; a grandson, Gregory Koob; his parents; a son-in-law, Kenneth Koob; two brothers-in-law, Edward Schnurr and Joseph Niichel; and two sisters-in-law, Doris Hunker and Gertrude Mandis.