Norman Menning

Rock Valley, IA: Rev. Norman Menning, 87, of Rock Valley, died Thursday January 30, 2014 at Pleasant Acres Care Center at Hull, Iowa. Memorial Service will be 2 pm Tuesday, February 4, 2014 at the First Reformed Church in Rock Valley. Burial will be held at 1 pm Tuesday at the Newkirk Cemetery. Visitation will be Monday, February 3, 2014 with the family present 5-7 pm at Porter Funeral Home, Rock Valley. Condolences may be left online for family at www.porterfuneralhomes.com.

Norman was born March 23, 1926 in Sioux County, 2 1/2 miles north of Newkirk, son of Simon and Dena (TeGrotenhuis) Menning. He lived on that farm 23 years, attending the Newkirk Consolidated School and graduated High School in 1943. He attended and was a communicant member of the Reformed Church at Newkirk. After graduation, he worked with his father on the home place until drafted into the U.S. Army during World War II serving for 2 years as an MP in Japan and the Philippines. Upon his discharge he rented the home place and farmed for 3 years until 1950 when he entered Northwestern College at Orange City, IA and in 1952 transferred to Hope College in Holland, MI graduating in 1954. He entered Western Theological Seminary in Holland, MI and graduated in 1957.

On August 25, 1952 Norman married Fannie Lammers of Sheldon, IA. Unto this union were born 3 children, Debbie, Colin, and Lainn. He was ordained to the Gospel ministry in his first charge at Trinity Reformed Church in Allison, IA on May 31, 1957. In the fall of 1961 he accepted a call to serve the Reformed Church in Firth, NE and in mid-summer of 1970 accepted a call from the multiple congregation parish of First Reformed Church in Doon, IA and Bethel Reformed Church in Lester, IA.

Rev. Menning retired from the parish ministry on June 1, 1991 and moved to Rock Valley, IA. While retired, he loved to spend his time doing pulpit supply, joined Senior Saints Chorus in August of 1986, and began refurbishing wheelchairs for Hope Haven in March of 1995.

Those left to celebrate his life are his wife, Fannie; daughter, Debbie (Vincent) Kooiker of Orange City, IA; sons, Colin (Jean) Menning of Algona, IA, and Lainn (Rhonda) Menning of Rock Rapids, IA; six grandchildren, Amy (Jeremy) Rohwer, Alan Kooiker, Corey (Kelly) Menning, Stacy (Bob) Murphy, Jessa (Lance) Hansen, and Josie (Paul) Moser. Six great-grandchildren, Bensen and Morgan Rohwer, Rachel and Arica Riedemann, Landon and Aubrey Menning; two sisters, Eunice (Ed) Scholten of Sioux Center, IA, Arlene (Carroll) Brown of Marion, IA; brother, Marion (Marge) Menning of Sheldon; sisters-in-law, Christine Menning of Orange City, Viola Menning of Sheldon; Elizabeth (Jim) Dykstra of Orange City, Karen Lammers of Council Bluffs, IA.

Rev. Norman was preceded in death by his parents; two brothers, Harold and Virgil Menning; three sisters, Esther (Ed) Boone, Evelyn (Sam) Brink, and Sylvia Hornsby; sister-in-law, Hermina (Max) McGinnis; and brothers-in-law, Dennis Raak, William (Lucille) Lammers, and Gerrit Lammers; grandson, Aric Kooiker.