Obituary of Stanley Heikens

A funeral service for Stanley Heikens, of Lake Park, Iowa will be held on Saturday, March 5, 2016 at 2:30 P.M. at the United Methodist Church in Lake Park, Iowa. Interment will be at Silver Lake Cemetery in Lake Park. A visitation will take place Friday, March 4, 2016 from 5:00 PM - 8:00 P.M. at the United Methodist Church in Lake Park. "Stan" Heikens, 80, of Lake Park, Iowa, passed away peacefully on March 1, 2016 at the Avera Heart Hospital in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. The oldest of three children, he was born on September 23, 1935 in Milford, Iowa, to the late Clarence and Anna Heikens. He was baptized in the Excelsior United Methodist Church (UMC). He grew up on a family farm where they fed cattle, hogs, and chickens and raised corn, hay and soybeans. He attended and graduated from the Excelsior School in 1953. Stanley proudly served our country, joining the United States Army in January of 1956. He was trained in field artillery at Fort Sill, Oklahoma, and was later stationed in Germany. He was officially honorably discharged on January 29, 1962. Following his military service in Germany, he attended both Northwestern and Morningside Colleges, in Orange City and Sioux City respectively. Stanley married his high school sweetheart, Jane Arnold of Lake Park, on August 16, 1959. He soon joined the Lake Park UMC. There he participated on several church committees and taught Sunday school. Heikens worked for 57 years as a livestock and grain farmer in rural Lake Park. He was admired for his knowledge of the agricultural industry and his keen interest in the advancement of Ag technology. His greatest passions were spending time with his family and visiting with long time friends as well as new acquaintances along the way. Stan was a strong advocate for Lake Park, and strong supporter for area businesses. There was rarely a dull moment when Stan was present; one of his many 'famous quotes' to his grandkids was, "If you can't be good be careful!" Stanley is survived by his devoted wife, Jane, and their loving four children and 12 grandchildren: Lance (Shelley) Heikens of Lake Park, and their daughters Jordan, Bailey, Mikaela, and Avery; Allison Azevedo of Kansas City, Kansas, and her daughters Ana Jane and Alexandra; Jason (Dallas) Heikens of Lake Park, and their children, Taylor (Laura), Kade, Grace and Ree; Linden (Kelly) Heikens of Sioux Falls, South Dakota, and their children Hailey and Levi; and 27 nieces and nephews. He was so proud of each and every one of them, rarely missing one of their activities or an opportunity to celebrate their achievements. He is preceded in death by his parents, brother Edward Heikens and sister Lorraine Ruml. In his honor, a family memorial has been established with funds to be designated toward an Agriculture or Animal Science college scholarship.