Gary Lee Roenfeld

Visitation: Saturday, January 13, 2024, 10:00 A.M. to 11:00 A.M., St. John Lutheran Church, Mineola, Iowa.

Celebration of Life: Saturday, January 13, 2024, 11:00 A.M., St. John Lutheran Church, Mineola, Iowa.

Gary Lee Roenfeld, a cherished presence in our lives for seventy-six years, peacefully passed from this life on Wednesday, January 3, 2024. He leaves behind a legacy as a   beloved husband, father, father-in-law, grandfather, great-grandfather, brother, uncle and friend. Gary was born at home on August 13, 1947 in rural Mineola, Iowa. His great-grandfather, Carl Frederick Roenfeld came to Mills County from Panko, Holstein-Schleswig, Germany in 1858. As a fourth-generation, life-long resident of Mills County, Gary’s roots ran deep. He was baptized, confirmed, and married at St. John Lutheran Church, Mineola, Iowa and will be buried in the Mineola Cemetery.  

Gary attended Sand Hollow Country School from kindergarten through the eighth grade and was a proud graduate of the Class of 1965 at Glenwood High School. He attended Iowa State University and received his Bachelor’s degree from the University of Nebraska at Omaha. He married Barbara Ellen Moore on December 14, 1969, at St. John Lutheran Church. Gary and Barbara have made their home north of Glenwood for forty years and were blessed with two children, Ryan and Krista.

Gary retired from Union Pacific Headquarters in Omaha, Nebraska in 2008 and spent the next ten years golfing and collecting railroad memorabilia. He enjoyed cooking, especially holiday meals for extended family, serving up his signature Apple-Raisin Dressing. He was an avid reader and enjoyed keeping up with his sports teams. But his greatest joy was cheering on his beloved grandchildren in all their academic and musical endeavors.     

Gary has left an irreplaceable void in the lives of his family and friends. He was preceded in death by his parents, Lee and Ellen, and his sister, Susan. He is survived by his beloved wife of fifty-four years, Barbara, his son, Ryan Roenfeld, Amanda Pokorski, his daughter, Krista (Aaron) Lind, grandchildren, Savannah Pokorski, Conner Hinshaw, John Roenfeld, Nate Lind, Zach Lind, and Ben Lind, great-granddaughter, Magnolia Allison, brother, Eugene Roenfeld, sister, Denise (Martin) Moore, god-children, Bill Strom, Sharon Strom, and several nieces and nephews.

Interment, Mineola Cemetery, Mineola, Iowa.

Memorial donations may be directed to: St. John Lutheran Church or the Glenwood Public Library.