Harold L. “Harry” Whitney

Harold L. “Harry” Whitney, age 74, of Schaller, Iowa died Saturday, July 16, 2005 at Mercy Medical Center in Sioux City, Iowa.

Funeral Services will be Thursday, July 21, 2005 at 10:30 a.m. at the Schaller United Methodist Church. Burial will be in the Schaller Cemetery. The Fratzke & Jensen Funeral Home in Schaller is in charge of the arrangements.

Friends may call Wednesday, July 20, 2005 from 2-8:00 pm at the Fratzke & Jensen Funeral Home in Schaller, where the family will be present from 2-4:00 and also from 6-8:00 pm.

Harry was born June 27, 1931 to Robert and Mabel (Wright) Whitney in Butler County, Iowa. He was baptized in the Methodist Church in Waverly, Iowa. Harry received his education in the Waverly Community School, attending all 12 grades there before graduation from Waverly High School with the Class of 1949.

On October 5, 1952, Harry was united in marriage to Helen “Sukey” Rawls at St. Paul Lutheran Church in Waverly. Their marriage was blessed with four children: Terri, Steven, Angela and Cindy. While living in the Waverly area, Harry was engaged in farming and also owned and operated a portable feed mill. He was a member of the Waverly Fire Department, Kiwanis, and a 4-H Leader in Bremer County.

Harry and Sukey moved to northwest Iowa for employment in building ambulances, and made their home in Schaller. He was a member of and past Deacon in the Schaller Presbyterian Church, was a founder of the Schaller Ambulance Service in 1976, served on the Sac County Ambulance Commission, served as an E.M.T. in Schaller from 1976—1993, and served on the Schaller Park Board. Harry was a long-time employee of the Farber & Otteman Funeral Homes and later of the Fratzke & Jensen Funeral Homes, where he could be counted on to know everyone who came to any visitation or funeral. Harry turned his lifelong passion and talent for woodworking into a part-time job, wherein he would make many beautifully crafted wood pieces.

Harry’s strong sense of community service combined with his outgoing personality and willingness to lend a hand at any job made him an icon in the Schaller community. He liked to join his friends for regular coffee breaks and he loved to go boating and on fishing trips to Canada and Minnesota. He was an avid Iowa Hawkeye and Morningside College football fan. He didn’t claim to know much about computers, but he liked to play the computer game, “Free Cell.” Harry liked to tease and joke with everyone and could bring a smile to anyone’s face.

But most important to Harry was his family. He was a devoted husband, father and grandfather who treasured the time he spent within his family circle. He loved to travel to see his kids and grandkids and enjoyed watching them in their various activities. He personally introduced each and every one of his eight grandchildren to his or her very first taste of ice cream. Harry’s eyes sparkled when he was happy and his eyes always sparkled when he was with his family or talking about his family. He will be forever loved and missed by all whose lives he touched.

Left to cherish his memory are his beloved Sukey—his wife of over 52 years; daughter Terri and husband Curt Rininger of Schaller, son Steve and wife Lil Whitney of Virginia Beach, Virginia, daughter Angela Whitney of Schaller, and daughter Cindy and husband Ron Reckamp of Schaller; eight grandchildren: Cody and wife Alison Rininger of Sioux City, Iowa, Shane Whitney of Virginia Beach, Krysten Reckamp of Schaller, Amber Whitney of Virginia Beach, Whitney Rininger of Schaller, Tanner Rininger of Schaller, Danielle Reckamp of Schaller and Nicholas Batton of Schaller; sisters-in-law Dorothy Whitney of Waverly and Carla Armagost of Ocala, Florida; as well as many nieces, nephews and other relatives and a host of friends.

Harry was preceded in death by his parents; brother Merwyn; sister Edna Mae and her husband Boyd Glidewell; and his granddaughter, Brandi Jo.