John Cha
rles Harkema, the son of John and Pearl (Charleston) Harkema, was born on February 20, 1938, in Dows, Iowa. He was raised and educated in Dows, graduating with the Class of 1956.
John met Mary Harrington while they were working on a dairy farm in Dows. They were united in marriage on April 8th, 1958, at the St Mary’s Catholic Church in Williams, Iowa. The couple made their home in Dows until 1961 when they moved to Eagle Grove. John began working for the Farmers Coop and then started driving semi for Umthun Trucking and drove for them for nearly 40 years.
John enjoyed gardening and grew almost everything he came across that he thought looked interesting in his seed catalogs, even though he wouldn’t dare eat any of it! He was most famously known for his sweet corn every summer! Not many things made him more proud than to watch family join him in the field to pick (he supervised) and then visit with everyone who stopped to purchase his beloved triple sweet, sweet corn! Another of his greatest joys was putting up inflatables at his home for every season, especially Halloween! He enjoyed preparing early for trick-or-treat by hand packaging sandwich size baggies with candy, for every trick-or-treater that came to his door! He made sure everyone could gain joy and walk away with plenty of candy! He was very giving whether it was tilling gardens or moving snow for little to no money or giving away sweet corn, as long as it meant they got to enjoy it, that’s all that mattered to him! He enjoyed tinkering with different things and especially cruising all around! You just never knew where you’d run into him in the S-10!
John passed away surrounded by family at the Paula Baber hospice house in Fort Dodge on March 1, at the age of 87. He was preceded in death by his wife, Mary Harkema; parents and brothers: Ralph, Richard, Raymond and Robert Harkema.
John is survived by his sons: Dave Harkema, Doug Harkema (Nancy Schnell); daughters: Patti Metzger, Michelle Harkema (Abe Spangler), Lisa Pliner (Scott); four grandchildren: Dani Morris (Jon), Natalie Pliner, Brock Metzger and Brad Pliner; two great-grandchildren, Kayson Manson and Kinsley Valentine; sister, Nancy Gimer; sister-in-law, Eileen Harkema and brother-in-law, Paul Harrington (Sheri).
A visitation was held from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. on Friday, March 7th, followed by a Funeral service at 4 p.m. at Foust Funeral Home in Eagle Grove. Burial was at Calvary Cemetery, Eagle Grove.
Memorials may be left to the Unity Point Hospice.
