In Memory of Dennis Leonn Goodman

Dennis L. Goodman, age 74, of Arthur, Iowa passed away on Monday, August 27, 2018, at the Horn Memorial Hospital of Ida Grove, Iowa, surrounded by his family. He courageously fought and ultimately lost a 5-month battle with lung cancer.

A Memorial Service will be held at 10:30 a.m., Friday, August 31, 2018, at the St. Paul Lutheran Church of Ida Grove, Iowa. Rev. Richard A. Salcido and Rev. Neil Wehmas will officiate; with Committal Services following in the Ida Grove Cemetery with Military Rites conducted by the Maple Valley Post No. 364 of the American Legion of Battle Creek, Iowa. A Visitation will be held from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m., Thursday, August 30, 2018, at the Christensen – Van Houten Funeral Home of Ida Grove, Iowa. The Christensen -Van Houten Funeral Home of Ida Grove, Iowa is in charge of the funeral arrangements. Condolences may be sent online at www.christensenvanhouten.com

Dennis Leonn Goodman was born June 19, 1944, in Battle Creek, IA, to Clayton and Marjorie Lund. He grew up in the Battle Creek and Anthon areas. After his father died when Dennis was 10, his mother met and married Robert Goodman who adopted him and his brothers Jeri and Randy.

Dennis graduated with the class of 1962 from Battle Creek High School. He attended college for one semester at Northwest Missouri State College in Maryville, MO. It was there that he discovered that his true calling was with the military. He joined the United States Air Force in April of 1963, starting basic training at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, TX. He was stationed at many bases including Shephard AFB, TX, Baudette AFB, MN, Okinawa AFB, Vandenberg AFB, CA, Cam-Ron Bay AFB, Vietnam, Mountain Home AFB, ID, Thule AFB, Greenland, Shema AFB, AK, Reese AFB, TX, and Anderson AFB, Guam.

His specialties in the Air Force included Prime Power Plant operator, missile launch crew, Titan II missile silo refurbishment specialist, generator technician, small diesel and gas generator and aircraft arresting barrier technician, master instructor basic course power production, and large turbine generator supervisor. He retired from the military in April of 1984 at the rank of Master Sergeant.

Following his military career, he returned to Battle Creek where he had various jobs working for farmers. In 1989, he became employed at Rupp Tire Shop in Ida Grove. He continued there until his retirement in 2010. To fill in his time and “keep busy” he worked at Golden Horizons in Ida Grove as a maintenance man. A couple years later he worked mowing the grounds at Badger Creek Apartments and Ida Grove Apartments in Ida Grove until the cancer took over his life and he had to quit.

Dennis married Lynnette Berg from Baudette, MN in 1965 and they had two children. The couple later divorced.

Dennis married Angela (Miller) Anderson at his parents’ home in Battle Creek on June 15, 1991. He moved to Arthur because she had the larger home. They purchased the home and started to remodel it, finishing the complete remodel in 2010.

Dennis loved carpentry work and mechanical work, especially helping the grandchildren with their projects, and camping and taking trips with Angie. They really loved visiting the Grand Canyon, Yellowstone, the Rockies, Phoenix, Sedona, Lompoc, San Antonio and Nashville. He was always busy on some project or the other. You could often find him in his workshop “Grandpa’s Hideout” doing something.

He will be greatly missed by many people.

Survivors include his wife Angie Goodman of Arthur; four stepsons Frederick (Lori) Anderson of Ida Grove, Bryan Anderson of Coralville, Luke (Hillary) Anderson of Cherokee and Drew (Rochelle) Anderson of Galva; a brother Randy (Sheryl) Goodman of Battle Creek, a sister-in-law Boots Goodman of Battle Creek; nine grandchildren including Blake and Tyler Anderson of Sioux City, Rianne Anderson of Vail, Brianna Anderson of Columbus, NE, Noah and Sophia Anderson of Cherokee and Zachary, Parker and Avery Anderson of Galva; plus aunts, uncles and a host of friends.

He was preceded in death by a brother Jeri; his parents; parents-in-law; a stepson Michael; as well as many aunts and uncles.