John Paul Seelman

John Paul Seelman, 60, died on May 22, 2025, on the family farm near Cosgrove, Iowa. He leaves behind numerous family and friends who will miss him dearly. Although John is gone, he will live on in our hearts forever and we will cherish our memories of him and the times we shared together attending and watching sporting events, bowling, playing pool, and eating hot wings.
He graduated from Clear Creek High School in 1982.
A Celebration of Life for our beloved sister and brother Nan and John Seelman on June 28th from 3:00 - 7:00 p.m. at the Cosgrove Institute, 2009 400th St. S.W., Oxford, IA. There will be a short program at 4:30 p.m. with a dinner to follow at 5:00 p.m. Please join us for this community event to celebrate the lives of these two amazing people. Contributions can be made to the John Seelman Memorial Fund or the Nan Seelman Memorial Fund, 1490 W. Forververgreen Rd., North Liberty, IA 52317.
John was born on July 7, 1964, at Mercy Hospital in Iowa City. He was one of twelve children, the youngest child of Lucille (Crock) and Harry Seelman. He is survived by his siblings, Barb Reiter of St. Paul, MN, Dianne (Keith) Gibson of Dubuque, Cindi Seelman of North Liberty, Chris (Chuck) Rohret of Iowa City, Mary Mascher of Iowa City, Coleen (Art) Chipman of North Liberty, Steve Seelman of Oxford, Tom (Val) Seelman of Oxford, Jim (Bev) Seelman of North Liberty, his cousin, Colette Cook of Cedar Rapids, and nieces and nephews, Rick (Heather) Michel of Oakdale, MN, Ross Gibson of West Des Moines, Cory Seelman of North Liberty, Amy (Nate) Nolte of North Liberty, Abbie (Reid) Jensen of North Liberty, Jason (Lyndsey) Mascher of Iowa City, Julia (Nick) Oxley, Laura (Phil) Lockwood of Des Moines, Tony (Sarah) Chipman of Lincoln NE, Jeremy (Janeanne) Gerot of Stuttgart, Germany, Allan Seelman of Oxford, Angie Seelman of St. Louis, MO, Megan Aubrecht of Oxford, Travis (Karla) Aubrecht of Tiffin, Kiley Seelman of Tiffin, Amanda (Tom) Webber of West Branch, Brett (Erica) Seelman of Cedar Rapids, and Megan Seelman of North Liberty. John is also survived by twenty-two great-nieces and nephews.
John was a private contractor and helped many farmers in the rural Johnson County area. He was a skilled backhoe operator and was known for his meticulous attention to detail and pride in his craft. He leaves behind a legacy of hard work and dedication to his profession.
John loved all sports, but he prided himself on his knowledge of wrestling, baseball, football, and the University of Iowa men's and women's basketball. He was a huge Hawkeye football and Minnesota Vikings fan and often watched the games while talking to his sister, Barb, on the phone in the Twin Cities.
At Clear Creek High School John wrestled and developed a love for the sport at the high school, college, and Olympic levels. John yearly attended the Iowa State Boys High School Wrestling Tournament in Des Moines and enjoyed watching the newest crop of young men pursuing the sport he was so passionate about. From watching matches on television to attending wrestling meets at Carver Hawkeye Arena to watch his beloved Hawkeyes, John embraced the thrill, camaraderie, and discipline the sport had to offer. He was a dedicated fan and a true enthusiast of all things wrestling. His family and friends were in awe of his knowledge and ability to recall specific wrestlers, their records, and championships as well as both past and current team rankings and records.
For many years John raced stock cars with his brothers Tom and Steve at West Liberty and Cedar Rapids tracks. One of his proudest moments was winning the track championship in West Liberty in 1989. He spent countless hours fine tuning his engine and preparing for the races every Friday and Saturday night.
John was a bowler and spent countless hours at Colonial Lanes in Iowa City where he both worked and bowled in Leagues throughout the year. After retiring his bowling ball, he became a pool player and bought a pool table so he could hone his skills. He was a fierce competitor who celebrated his team's victories at local, regional, and state tournaments.
John touched our lives in countless ways, and we will miss him as we mourn his passing and remember him as the caring brother who loved his family and friends. We will think of him when we watch the Hawkeye Football team take the field. We will honor him when the Hawkeye wrestlers enter the arena and take to the mats. We will celebrate him when we see the Vikings score another touchdown and win the Super Bowl. We will remember a brother who loved us and who we loved deeply. We will miss him every day for the rest of our lives.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Lucille Seelman (2001), Harry Seelman (2014), his brother Allan Ray Seelman (1971), his brother-in-law Bob Reiter (2017), and his sister Nan Seelman (2025).