Jed Wendell Bengard, Jr

Jed Wendell Bengard, Jr., the son of Esther ( Newell) Bengard and Jed Wendell Bengard, Sr. was born May 26, 1956, in Audubon, Iowa and died June 23, 2021 near Exira, Iowa at the age of 65 years and 25 days.

Jed attended Exira Grade School and the Carroll High School before enlisting in the United States Air Force on September 18, 1973. During his tour of duty he served as an Electrical Power Production Specialist with the 3rd Mobile Communication Group. He was honorably discharged on March 21, 1975 and was employed as a mechanic at Allis Chalmers in Carroll, Iowa and later at Irlbeck Repair in Dedham, Iowa.

On June 10, 1978, he was united in marriage to Brenda Schultes at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Dedham, Iowa. They were blessed with two children Tim and Amy. Jed continued at Irlbeck Repair before they moved to Exira in 1982 and worked for Audubon Implement until opening his own shop Bengard Repair where he did tractor and other farm machinery repair. After moving to Exira, Jed’s father-in-law found an antique John Deere G in a grove of trees around Templeton and bought the tractor. Jed and his brother-in-law David became interested in tractor pulling and then became active in Antique Tractor Pulling where Jed won many trophies which are still proudly displayed in his shop. Jed was also an engine builder for Jeff Anderson’s stock car for many years until his son, Tim, began racing at age 16. Tim and Jed’s biggest accomplishment was winning the Tiny Lund Memorial Race in Harlan, IA. When the farm crisis hit, Jed continued to do the mechanic work and to supplement his income, also worked at Glacier (MAHLE Engines) and then SkyJack, where he sustained a crushing accident February 19, 1999, which forced him into an early retirement.

Life for Jed revolved around the shop, where many great times were had, whether it be graduation parties for his kids, racing related, fixing up tractors or just sitting around with friends drinking a beer. One day, a young Tanner Powers came riding his bicycle down the drive to see what Jed and Tim were doing with the race car. He became a permanent member of the Bengard (Racing) family, but only after shop initiation, which consisted of wearing an empty Busch Light box on his head all day.

In between racing, working and competing, Jed became certified as a Fire Fighter I and EMT-I. He spent his clinical hours at Mercy Hospital in Des Moines, IA and had several shifts on their Life Flight helicopter.

After Jed and Brenda divorced in 2018, Jed found a new passion in motorcycle riding. He met a lot of new friends which brought him much happiness the past few years. Jed particularly enjoyed spending time with his special friend, Paula Yates, who also found a love of riding through Jed.

Preceding him in death was his mother, Esther; his sister, Jan Bengard Kasperbauer; his brother-in-law James (Jim) Bush; his great nephew Asher Kasperbauer; his aunt Marilyn Newell; his father in-law and mother in-law William (Bill) & Rose Schultes; and his brother-in-law George Klocke.

He is survived by his son, Tim and wife, Amy (Heckenbach) Bengard of Falkville, Alabama; his daughter, Amy and husband, Clark Brown of Brayton, Iowa; his grandson Gavin Bengard of Elk Horn, Iowa; his step-grandchildren Wesley, Douglas, Bethany and Liam Brown of Sherman, Texas; his father, Jed Bengard Sr. of Dedham, Iowa; his sisters: Joan (Bill) Cramer of Gray, Iowa, Jane (Tom) Hoffman of Coon Rapids, Iowa, and Julie (Gary) Danner of Dedham, Iowa; his special friend Paula Yates of Exira, Iowa; his ex-wife Brenda Bengard of Exira, Iowa; his nephews and nieces: Jason (Kelly) Bush of Carroll, Iowa, Tony (Laura) Bush of Hamlin, Iowa, Wendy Bush of Rockwell City, Iowa, Terry (Jessica) Hoffman and Heath Kasperbauer all of Coon Rapids, Iowa, Holly Kasperbauer and Nick McKenna of Bryan, Texas, Jed (Stephanie) Kasperbauer of Dedham, Iowa, Jenna Kasperbauer of Easley, South Carolina; “Unofficial Adopted” Son, Tanner Powers and family; his brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law, Dave (Bobra) Schultes of Knoxville, Arkansas, DeDe (John) Arrowsmith of Glidden, Iowa, Jeanne (Jerry) Schrad of Carroll, Iowa, Donna Klocke of Templeton, Iowa, Mark (Chris) Schultes and Bill (Lisa) Schultes all of Dedham, Iowa; many great nieces, nephews; other relatives, and many friends.

A Celebration of Life Memorial Gathering will be held on Thursday evening, July 1, 2021 from 5:00 to 7:00 P.M. at the Kessler Funeral Home in Exira, Iowa. A private family Celebration of Life Memorial Service will be held at a later date. Inurnment will be in the Dedham Cemetery in Dedham, Iowa. Honorary casket bearers will be: Tanner Powers, Tony Bush, Heath Kasperbauer, Ben Simpson, Jeff Anderson, and Alan Nissen.