Gary John Engelken – Manchester

Gary John Engelken, age 61, of Manchester, Iowa, passed away peacefully on Friday, January 31, 2025, at Mercy Hospital from complications of heart surgery.

Gary was born in Manchester to Joseph and Viola (Loeffelholz) Engelken. He was raised on the family farm near Greeley, Iowa. He attended grade school in Greeley and graduated from West Delaware High School. He worked for Bob Holtz Construction and while laid off, was offered a job at Fareway. His career at Fareway spanned nearly 44 years. He loved chatting with and helping customers and had found his niche in the produce department over the past few years. Gary married his best friend and soul mate, Julie (Seibert), in 1990. They were blessed with two wonderful sons, Ben and Sam. They raised their family on the Quaker Mill Pond north of Manchester where they enjoyed jet skiing, kayaking, swimming, and ice skating. In 2023, Gary was promoted to grandpa, his best role ever. Gary loved cars, especially his Chevy Nova, Buick Regals and Chevy Blazer. He enjoyed riding his motorcycle any chance he got. His favorite place was the Mississippi River in Guttenberg where he enjoyed boating with his family and friends. He enjoyed tinkering with everything and making projects in his wood shop. He recently took up wood turning and made several beautiful projects for his family. Gary was the guy anyone could call if they needed help and he would be there in 5 minutes, no matter what he was doing. He adored his boys and enjoyed helping them fix and build things. They created their own family “construction company” where Gary’s famous line was lovingly “I’ll beat you.”

Gary is survived by his wife, Julie; his sons, Ben (Ally) Engelken and Sam (Kenzie) Engelken; his grandkids, Winston and Lorelei, and another grand baby coming this summer; his beloved doodle, Gideon; siblings, Ron Engelken,Wayne (Janet) Engelken, Elaine (Dan) Dunkel, and Nancy Recker; his sister-in-law, Ann (Daniel) Brown; and several nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his parents; brother, Dean “Killer”; sister-in-law, Gloria Engelken; Julie’s parents, Cliff and Jane Seibert; and his faithful dog, Buddy.

Online condolences may be sent to www.leonard-mullerfh.com.

Mass of Christian Burial: 11:00 a.m., on Thursday, February 6, 2025, at St. Mary Catholic Church in Manchester, Iowa, with Rev. Gabriel Anderson officiating.

Visitation: 3:00 to 7:00 p.m., on Wednesday, February 5, 2025, at Leonard-Muller Funeral Home in Manchester, Iowa, where there will be a 2:30 p.m. Scripture Service. Friends may also call from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. at the church on Thursday.

Inurnment will be at a later date at Oakland Cemetery in Manchester.