Elmer Sheeder

Elmer Donald Sheeder, 96, of Greenfield, Iowa, passed away Friday, October 30, 2015 at the Adair County Memorial Hospital in Greenfield, Iowa.

Elmer was born July 27, 1919, to Henry D. and Blanche (Harwood) Sheeder at the family farm in Eureka Twp., Adair County, Iowa. He attended and graduated from 8th grade in 1933 from Prussia No 1 country school in Adair County. He helped his father with farming until he went into farming for himself.

Elmer was united in marriage to Nina Christensen July 29, 1944, in Shenandoah, Iowa. This union was blessed with ten children.

His whole farming career was as a tenant farmer in Adair County, Iowa. The highlight of his farming career was being presented with an Adair County Soil Conservation Achievement Award in 1959, which they shared with John Ehrsam in the tenant operated division. In 1989, Elmer and Nina semi-retired and they moved to Adair. After Nina passed away in 2005, he moved to Birch Village apartments in Greenfield where he resided until his death.

In earlier years, he enjoyed playing cards with family, especially at celebrating family birthdays. His hobby was collecting toy tractors. He enjoyed putting puzzles together, playing cards on his computer and watching his favorite TV station the RFD channel. Elmer enjoyed life to the fullest, and he was happiest when he could visit with family and friends. His children and their families were his pride and joy.

He was preceded in death by his wife Nina of 61 years; his parents, Henry and Blanche Sheeder; a son-in-law, Darrel Lawson; his five brothers, Lyman, John, Gerald, Gaylord and Ralph; four sisters, Clara Sullivan, Mildred Jensen, Eva James and Florence Lawrence.

Survivors include his ten children; Shirley and husband John Staggs, Alvin and wife Kathy (Uhlman) Sheeder, Robert and wife Sally (Kuster) Sheeder, Patsy and husband Larry Silvey, Kenneth and wife Wendy (Jobst) Sheeder, Ardis and husband Francis McGinnis, Cindy and husband Mike Nelson, Beverly and husband Darrell Moore, Louise Lawson and friend Ron Smith and Mike and Suzanne (Eklund) Sheeder; many grandchildren, great-grandchildren, great-great-grandchildren; sister-in-law, LaVonne (Avey) Sheeder of Casey, Iowa; and nieces, nephews, and many many more family and friends.

Memorials can be directed to the family.

Visitation will be from 5:00 - 7:00 p.m. Thursday, November 5, 2015 at the Stuart Mt. Vernon United Methodist Church in Stuart, Iowa.

Memorial services will be held at 2:00 p.m. on Friday, November 6, 2015, at the Mt. Vernon United Methodist Church in Stuart, Iowa, with burial in the Sunnyhill Cemetery in Adair, Iowa.