DeWayne Ehler

DeWayne Ehler died on January 4, 2024, in Des Moines, Iowa. He was born on September 28, 1931, to John A. and Lillian G. (Johannsen) Ehler in Ida Grove, Iowa, and attended the local schools until high school when he attended Concordia High School in St. Paul, Minnesota, graduating in 1949. He then attended Iowa State College, graduating in 1953 and spent the next two years serving in the Air Force, both at Wright Patterson in Dayton, OH, and at the Presidio Army Language School in Monterrey, CA, part of Fort Ord.
DeWayne married the love of his life, Marilyn Sue Cook after leaving Wright Patterson and they drove west to spend their first year in California. They then settled in Ames where he obtained a Master's Degree in Industrial Economics at Iowa State. He initially took a job with Solar Aircraft and then, for the remainder of his career, worked for National By-Products Rendering Company, first as a District Manager and eventually promoted to a regional Vice President. He retired in 1989.
They settled in Ankeny in 1961 which became their hometown the rest of their lives. DeWayne was active in the community, serving on the United Way Campaign, the Ankeny Park Board, Sunday school teacher at Holy Trinity Lutheran Church and on various church boards and committees.
DeWayne was known as a warm, honest, loving and friendly man who seemed to always charm those around him. He loved to meet and spend time with people. He was also a "barnyard engineer" with countless home projects, woodworking, and fix-it efforts that sometimes worked and sometimes didn't. This included building his and Marilyn's dream home in Ankeny from 1974-1976 with his three sons. Later, they worked on portions of their lake home in northern Minnesota where he and Marilyn spent their summers, entertaining visiting friends and family and making new friends.
Marilyn passed away in 2013 and DeWayne continued spending his summers up north and wintering in Ankeny. For the past two years he lived at Mill Pond Senior Living facility in Ankeny where, again, he made many new friends both of the staff and the local residents.
DeWayne is survived by his three sons, Jeff Ehler (Ruth), Jay Ehler (Denise) and Ted Ehler, five grandchildren, Curtis Ehler (Jeff and Ruth), Karen Kuhns (Jeff and Ruth), Lily and Haley Ehler (Ted), and Mitchell Ehler (Jay and Denise), as well as five great-grandchildren, Asher, Corban, and Gracie Kuhns (Jeremy and Karen), and Joshua and Hannah Ehler (Curtis and Jenna). He was preceded in death by his wife Marilyn and by his grandson, John (Jay and Denise) and two great-grandsons, Gabriel and Caleb Ehler (Curtis and Jenna).
A memorial service will take place at Holy Trinity Lutheran Church in Ankeny, Iowa, on February 24, 2024, at 11am with a visitation at 10am and a lunch served afterwards. A short gravesite service for family will take place after the lunch.
Should friends desire, contributions/memorials may be sent to Mill Pond, 1201 SE Mill Pond Ct., Ankeny, IA 50021 (designate gift in memory of DeWayne Ehler).