Warren Eugene Oetken

1943 - 2026

Warren E. Oetken, 82 of Le Mars, Iowa, passed away on Sunday, January 11, 2026 at the Good Samaritan Society of Le Mars.

A Memorial Service will be at 11:00 a.m., Friday, January 23, 2026 at Christ Lutheran Church, Grant Township, rural Le Mars, Iowa. Burial will follow at St. Peter Lutheran Cemetery in rural Brunsville, Iowa. Visitation with the family present will begin at 10:00 a.m. at the church on Friday. Arrangements are with Rexwinkel Funeral Home of Le Mars. Expressions of sympathy may be expressed to the family through www.rexwinkelfh.com.

Warren Eugene Oetken was born on April 5, 1943 in Akron, Iowa to George and Clara (Popken) Oetken.  He was a lifelong resident of Washington Township, Plymouth County. Warren attended Dalton (later renamed West Le Mars) country school and continued his education at Le Mars Community School where he graduated from in 1961. 

Warren served in the United States Army from May 1966-1968.   During that time, he was called to active duty in Ft. Carson, Colorado during the Vietnam War. 

On April 3, 1965, Warren married his high school sweetheart, Sheryl L. Schulz, at St. John’s Lutheran Church in Le Mars, Iowa. They settled west of Merrill, IA and began farming and raising livestock. The heart and soul of their farm was his cattle business which coined the name, W.O. Limousin/Polled Shorthorn. For 40 years they held an annual cattle sale, with customers attending from across the U.S. Sale day was a special day for Warren, but more importantly were the lifelong friends that were made. 

Warren was a lifelong member of St. Peter’s Lutheran Church in Brunsville, and a member of Heeren-McHale-Wilkens Legion in Brunsville. He enjoyed working with youth in the community; he volunteered as a 4-H leader and loved coaching Merrill boys baseball. He also coached for Le Mars Senior League baseball.

He greatly enjoyed his time with the Le Mars Sportsman’s Club, spending countless hours with friends who loved trap shooting and antique gun collections. He loved hosting at his farm the White Buffalo Target Shootout for nearly 20 years. The friends who attended meant the world to him.  

Warren’s family was so important to him, there were always special moments on the farm with the kids and grandkids: riding the Honda, feeding cattle, Easter egg hunts, learning to shoot targets, and many more.  He was proud of their accomplishments and loved following them in their sports, 4-H, and other activities. 

Warren is survived by his 4 children, 10 grandchildren and 2 great grandchildren: son, Jeff (Mickey) Oetken of Willis, TX and his children: Whitney (Cooper Schuh) Oetken and Brooke (Tommy) Moreland; daughter, Lori Oetken of Sioux City, IA and her son, Logan (Jalisa) Oetken; daughter, Stacie Schultz of Lake City, IA and her children: Sydnie (Tyler) O’Tool and their daughter, Josie O’Tool, and Madison (Dylan Scheffler) Schultz; and daughter, Kelli (Will) Wilson of Dakota Dunes, SD and their children: Will Wilson Jr, Tyson (Ashley) Wilson and their daughter Isabelle, Parker Moss, Preston (Reese) Moss, and Simion Wilson. Warren is also survived by other extended relatives.

Warren is preceded in death by his wife, Sheryl Oetken; father, George Oetken; mother, Clara Oetken; brother, Alwayne Oetken; and sister, Beverly Held.