Stephen “Steve” Henkelman
HENKELMAN, KRANTZ, NETOLICKY, BETTS, BULTEN, SCHEBLER, TURNER, PETERSEN, GARRISON, MENZE, KENKEL, STATON, WAECHTER
Posted By: Sarah Fletcher (email)
Date: 1/29/2024 at 06:16:06
Stephen “Steve” Henkelman, 73, of Oxford passed away peacefully at home on December 12, 2023.
Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 10:00 AM on Tuesday, December 19, 2023, at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Oxford, where visitation will be held on Monday, December 18, 2023, from 4:00 – 7:00 PM with the rosary recited at 4:00 PM. Burial will be at Mt. Calvary Cemetery in Oxford. Lunch will be served in St. Mary’s hall following the burial. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be sent to the family to be used for organizations that were important to Steve.
Steve was born on April 29, 1950 in Harlan, Iowa to Harold and Patricia (Krantz) Henkelman. At a young age, he learned his father's trade of masonry and bricklaying and took such great pride in working with his dad and helping with the family business that he still talked about it 60 years later. He graduated from Clear Creek High School before starting his career in law enforcement, first as a Deputy for the Johnson County Sheriff’s Department, then as a correctional officer at Oakdale Prison for 30 years where he spent much of his time transporting inmates around the state. After retiring in 2009, Steve missed driving the prison bus so much that he became a bus driver for Clear Creek Amana School District. While the yellow bus passengers might have been rowdier than the white bus passengers, greeting each of the students by name was the highlight of his day. In 2013 he fulfilled a lifelong dream and opened an antique shop in Oxford called Bootleggers with his sister Therese.
Steve married Gina Netolicky in 2001 and enjoyed 22 years of marriage. He was a loving father to his two boys Joseph and Michael, and gained three more children, Lisa, Cris, and Tonya when he married Gina. Aside from spending time with his family, he loved auctions, antiques, and animals (especially Bulldogs!). Steve knew no strangers and anywhere he went in town or on the antique circuit he always knew someone there with which to share a story or a laugh (or even some gossip!). He was proud to be a part of the Oxford Project Book and was a devoted and lifelong member of St. Mary’s in Oxford. He was also a decades-long member of The Aladdin Knights.
Steve loved all things vintage, especially his oil lamps and was passionate about preserving and restoring old treasures. He loved classic cars and could spot the model and year from a half mile away. He also loved country music and classic rock and knew the words to every song even though he seldom sang the original words!
He loved to bake pies too, and banana bread, and soup and he liked to deliver those goodies to his friends or anyone who stopped by the house. “Joey! Make sure to take some of that banana bread with you” was not an uncommon thing to hear in the house.
Until her passing in 2012, Steve seldom missed a morning visit to his mother's house for coffee, breakfast, and news before going to work.
He is survived by his wife Gina Henkelman, five children Joe (Ana) Henkelman, Mikey (Erin) Henkelman, Lisa (Steve) Betts, Cris (Angie) Bulten and Tonya Bulten, siblings Therese Schebler and Nick Henkelman, brothers in law Joe Schebler, Trent Netolicky, and Mitch Turner, grandchildren Harrison, Sawyer, Chase (and his father Jay), Jaycee, Zach, Lexi, James, Averi, Rigel and Elara, nieces Amanda (Tony) Petersen and Catie Henkelman, nephews Scott Ellis and Chris Ellis, aunts and uncles Cleo Garrison, Agnes Menze, Max Kenkel, and Joe and Loretta Kenkel, mother in law, Joyce Netolicky, and many cousins, Great-nephews, and countless friends.
Steve was preceded in death by his parents Harry and Pat, sister Joanne Staton, niece Danielle Waechter and father in law Darrell Netolicky.
Lensing Funeral & Cremation Service
Johnson Obituaries maintained by Cindy Booth Maher.
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