Glenn Ohms

Glenn Ohms, 86, of Atlantic, Iowa, passed away Sunday, September 16, 2018, at Cass County Memorial Hospital in Atlantic.

Glenn Walden Ohms was born on October 14, 1931, the fifth son of Hans and Teressa Ohms. He was born near Jacksonville, IA, in the family home situated on land that later became Prairie Rose State Park. Glenn eventually became the middle of 9 children, 6 sons & 3 daughters. Hans Ohms was proud to say that he had "three and a half-dozen kids," but his claim was often misunderstood, when the stunned listener assumed that he had said three-and-a-half dozen.

The Ohms family rented a series of farms near Rhorbeck and Marne, while the children attended various country schools. At one point, the numerous Ohms students agreed to switch to another nearby country school, to help keep the little school open.

Glenn began high school in Atlantic, but then moved with his family to the state of Washington. He graduated from Sunnyside High School in 1950. He briefly attended Iowa State University, studying animal husbandry. His parents returned to dairy farming west of Atlantic and Glenn resumed milking cows with his family. He first met his future bride, Joan Nelson, at a 4-H box lunch social, after winning the bid for her box and her heart. Glenn then entered into military service on April 6, 1953. He was stationed in California, Washington, and Alaska. He served as a company driver and became an assistant squad leader in the 3rd Platoon, Company B, 2nd Infantry Division. After two years of service, Glenn returned to Iowa, and married Joan less than a month later on May 1st. They began farming where Joan had grown up, on the Nelson homestead north of Atlantic. They enjoyed sixty-three years of marriage together.

Along came three daughters, Denise, Janelle, and Brenda. Glenn was farming three separate farms and often had to move machinery between the farms. When Joan was needed as a second driver, the young girls were all treated to a pick-up ride "to Halifax and back" as Dad called it. Eventually they understood that phrase as code for just an errand to another farm. Other notable pick-up rides were in a camper, to a number of scenic vacation spots. The two words "vacation" and "fishing" were often used as interchangeable terms.

The girls' activities brought a number of busy years, with school beginning at Pymosa and continuing in Atlantic, along with many 4-H activities. Glenn served as a leader for the boys' 4-H club plus helped with his daughters' 4-H projects such as baby beeves, hogs, gardening, and photography. The girls, likewise, were privileged to participate in certain aspects of their father's livelihood, including dropping whatever they were doing when he would anxiously announce, "The hogs are out!" There was no acceptable way to excuse one's self from helping with the lively round-up. No matter what the seasonal demands of farming might be, Glenn always attended his daughters' many band concerts, choral concerts, and stage productions.

Glenn devoted enough ground to gardening to justify using the field tractor for preparing the dirt for the new garden crops. Family times included picking strawberries and apples, walking beans, fishing for bullheads, and entertaining the numerous farm cats. Time with family was something Glenn treasured most.

For a number of years, Glenn partnered with six other hog producers to operate a hog-farrowing corporation called Nishna Pig. Glenn's hog operation eventually finished around 1000 head per year. He was active in Pork Producers, raising hogs for 40 years. Glenn was a Farm Bureau member, serving as Cass County president for two years. He also served as the voting delegate for several years and managed the annual membership campaign several times. He also served on the board at Brayton Lutheran Church and later at St. Paul's Lutheran Church. He was a Lions Club member, and also drove a school bus route for a year.

During Glenn's farming years, the family farm was designated as a Century Farm. The daughters got older too, but none of the three were destined to become a farmer's wife. When it was time to retire, Glenn and Joan held a farm machinery sale in September 1993. Once free of the constraints of operating a farm, Glenn and Joan adopted a new lifestyle -- vacationing in an RV. They enjoyed a number of winters as snowbirds in Arizona and Texas. Their most memorable travels were two sojourns to Alaska. While there, Glenn enjoyed seeing sites around Alaska that were inaccessible to him during his army tour of duty in the north.

Glenn and Joan drew great pleasure from being grandparents to three boys and one girl. Glenn was happy to dye Easter eggs, play hide & seek, or test their listening skills by intentionally mis-reading their favorite books.

Glenn was preceded in death by his parents, Hans Dewey Ohms and Teressa Edna Maria Sorensen Ohms; daughter Denise; infant grandchildren Daniel Josiah Rohrbaugh and Anna Irene Rohrbaugh; brothers Dewey, Marvin, and Jack; sister Greta and brother-in-law Wayne Ullerich; brother-in-law Maurice (Marie) Miller; sisters-in-law Irene (Dean) Ohms and Marilyn (Dewey) Ohms.

He is survived by his wife Joan; daughters Janelle (John) Rohrbaugh of Fort Collins, CO and Brenda (Ron) Ruenholl of Blair, NE; grandchildren Ryan and Rebecca Ruenholl, and David and Joshua Rohrbaugh; brothers Dean and Max; sisters Marie and Donna "Nicky"; brother-in-law Dick (Nicky) Stephens; sisters-in-law Lois (Jack) Ohms and Ann (Max) Ohms.
Glenn was a loving and devoted husband and father. He was unassuming, patient, and had a kind word for all whom he met. He will be missed by all who knew him.
Visitation with the family present will be held one hour prior to the service on Saturday at the church, beginning at 9:30 a.m. Open visitation will be held Friday, September 21, 2018 from 8:00 a.m. until 5:30 p.m. at the Roland Funeral Home in Atlantic.
Funeral services will be held at 10:30 a.m., Saturday, September 22, 2018, at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Atlantic, with Pastor Grant Van Lishout officiating. Burial, with military honors by the Atlantic Color Guard, will be held in the Atlantic Cemetery.
Memorials may be made to St. Paul’s Lutheran Church or the Heritage House Good Samaritan Fund.
Roland Funeral Service is caring for Glenn’s family and his arrangements. Condolences may be left at www.rolandfuneralservice.com.

IN HIS LOVING MEMORY

Glenn Ohms

BORN: October 14, 1931 - Jacksonville, Iowa

DIED: September 16, 2018 - Atlantic, Iowa
At the age of 86 years, 11 months, 2 days

FUNERAL SERVICE
Ten-thirty a.m., Saturday, September 22, 2018
St. Paul’s Lutheran Church - Atlantic, Iowa

OFFICIANT: Pastor Grant Van Lishout

ORGANIST: Eileen Denne

MUSIC SELECTIONS
“Come Touch the Sun” recorded by Burt Bacharach

“How Great Thou Art” “The Lord’s Prayer
By Kim Podhajsky and Jon Jordan

“Amazing Grace” by the Congregation

CASKET BEARERS
Ron Ruenholl
John Rohrbaugh
Ryan Ruenholl
David Rohrbaugh
Joshua Rohrbaugh
Gary Ohms

FLOWER COMMITTEE
Glen & Janet Nelson
Debbie & Alan Hand
Rebecca Ruenholl

INTERMENT: Atlantic Cemetery - Atlantic, Iowa

MILITARY HONORS: Atlantic Color Guard

The family invites you to join them for lunch in the
fellowship hall following the services at the cemetery.