Harold William Edeker

August 24, 2019

Service Details

Harold William Edeker passed away peacefully in the early morning hours with his loving wife, Amy, by his side on Saturday, August 24, 2019 at Kennybrook Village in Grimes, Iowa. He was 90 years old. Harold was a loving husband and father to six children, grandfather to seventeen grandchildren and great-grandfather to seventeen great-grandchildren.

Harold was born June 8, 1929 at home on a farm between Allison and Clarksville, Iowa to Wilhelm and Emma (Busse) Edeker. Harold was the youngest of seven children with five older sisters and an older brother.

A favorite story Harold often shared was that he was born almost two months premature after his mother fell while gathering eggs in the hen house. The attending doctor told Harold’s 20-year-old sister, Frieda, that it was unlikely he would survive the night. Frieda placed baby Harold in a shoebox and put it on an open oven door to keep him warm. By God’s grace he survived and he grew up a happy, healthy child on his parent’s working family farm during The Great Depression. There he learned the value of hard work and how to run a farm. He attended Clarksville schools through 8th grade and helped on the farm during World War II. Harold’s teen years were full of mischief, fast cars and horseplay.

Harold met and fell in love with Amy Habermann, a local school teacher, and they were married on February 26, 1950 in Allison, Iowa. Amy and Harold loved being together and were inseparable, celebrating 69 years together. Amy said after Harold passed, “He was always so happy to see me.” Harold and Amy raised six children: Carleen, Darwin, Allan, Wanda, Randy and Kristi.

Harold and Amy made their home initially near Clarksville where Harold worked on farms and as a carpenter in Waverly, Iowa. Soon Harold applied his mechanical abilities to fixing farm equipment and began a long career of over 30 years as a mechanic for John Deere. A few years after starting his career as a mechanic, Harold devised a tool that allowed mechanics to safely work on tractors while the power take off equipment was running. Several mechanics had been severely injured losing limbs. Harold provided the design at no cost, which was used by other farm implement dealerships.

Harold was a man who loved Jesus Christ. He often told the story of how God delivered him from a decades-long fight with alcoholism. An evangelist prayed with him and through the power of God his life was forever changed, never having a drink again for the rest of his life. Harold served as a church elder and was an avid Bible reader.

One of Harold’s passions was to solve problems and to use his creative gifts to design and fabricate something from modest materials. He created prototypes of several of his inventions such as an elevator lift for farm equipment and heated windshield wiper blades, long before others came to market.

Harold was preceded in death by his parents, Wilhelm Edeker and Emma (Busse) Edeker and his siblings, Freida Fenneman, Harry Edeker, Lorena Heine, Viola Heine, Lucille Fenneman and Linda Becker. He is survived by his wife, Amy (Habermann) Edeker; children, Carleen (John) Sipes, Darwin (Debbie) Edeker, Allan (Lori) Edeker, Wanda (Terence) Ventling, Randy (Dawn) Edeker and Kristi (Eric) Jackson; seventeen grandchildren; and seventeen great-grandchildren.

Visitation will be at 9:00 am on Wednesday August 28, 2019 at New Hope Assembly of God church at 4425 70th Street in Urbandale, Iowa 50322 followed by a funeral service at 10:30 a.m. A grave side service will be held for family at Sunny Hill Cemetery, Grimes, Iowa following the funeral service.

In lieu of flowers, please make donations in Harold’s name to Missions at New Hope Assembly of God church at newhopeassembly.org.

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