IOWA CITY-John H. Lenhart, age 93, of 821 Basswood Lane, Iowa City, beloved husband of Hilda, and father of Sharlene and Rosemary, passed into the arms of his Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, from the loving embrace of his family on May 14, 2006.
John Henry Lenhart was born October 23, 1912, to Joe and Alvina (Friedricks) Lenhart on a farm south of Tama. He attended Columbia #2 and the 9th grade at Tama High School. He lived in Columbia Township from birth until 1999 when he moved to Iowa City, Iowa.
He married Hilda M. Kesl on February 4, 1937 in St. Patrick's Church in Tama, Iowa. They started farming two miles south of Tama on the J.C. Krezek farm which had once been owned by Johnnie's grandfather, Jon Lenhart. In 1947 they purchased the farm and remained there until 1999 when they sold it and moved to Iowa City to live with daughter, Sharlene. He enjoyed sustainable agriculture – raising corn, oats, beans, hay, cattle, hogs and chickens. A special achievement was turning an erosion nightmare into a beautiful 3.5 acre pond and stocking it with fish. Family and friends enjoyed many memorable outings there.
Johnnie was employed for more than 30 years as a deputy township assessor and enjoyed traveling the backroads of Tama County to visit with township residents. His lifelong interest in sports was manifest in participation in summer softball, bowling, and his 22 year career as a Iowa high school baseball umpire where he achieved a superior rating many times. He served as Columbia Township Clerk for more than 40 years.
He was a founding member of the Tama County "I" Club and a lifelong Hawkeye fan. He also belonged to the Tama-Toledo Eagles Club and St. Patrick's Holy Name Society, the latter service highlighted by his efforts on the fund drive to build St. Patrick's elementary school in the 1950s.
Upon retirement in 1975 he devoted more time to gardening, travel, hunting, and his life-long favorite pastime of fishing. He especially enjoyed drifting down the Iowa River in pursuit of catfish with friends and Sharlene. He traveled to Minnesota and Canada each summer for a relaxing fishing trip where he caught many walleyes and 10+ lb northern pike. He enjoyed walking and exploring the area where he lived and was well known for his morel finding prowess – also for giving away fish and mushrooms to folks no longer able to harvest them.
Johnnie was a devoted family man. His wife, daughters, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren brought him great joy. Hilda and John traveled over much of the USA to visit their children and grandchildren. A lifelong advocate of education, he took great pride in the educational and life achievements of his children and grandchildren.
Preceding him in death were his parents, Joe and Alvina Lenhart; his brothers, Clifford and Donald, his wife's siblings/spouses, Beatrice (Bud) Bru, Emily (Kenny) Custer, and Leon (Edna) Kesl.
Surviving are his wife, Hilda of Iowa City; two daughters, Sharlene of Iowa City, and Rosemary (John) Gildea of Lilburn, GA; four grandchildren, Joe (Carrie) Gildea and great-granddaughter Elise of Smyrna, GA, Dawn (B.J.) Kinard and great-granddaughter Samantha of Smyrna, GA, Ruth of Athens, GA, and Karen of Atlanta, GA. Also surviving are two sisters, Bernice (Lyle) Pagel of Marshalltown and Joan Yanda of Maquoketa; two sisters-in-law, Dorothy (the late Clifford) Lenhart of Tama and Rita (the late Donald) Lenhart of Tama and numerous nephews, nieces, and more distant relatives.
The rosary will be recited at 7:00 p.m. Tuesday evening followed by a Vigil Service at 7:30 p.m. at Kruse-Phillips Funeral Home in Tama where the family will be present. Visitation is open to the public from 5:00-7:00 p.m. on Tuesday at Kruse-Phillips Funeral Home.
A Mass of Christian burial will be celebrated at 10:30 a.m. on Wednesday, May 17, 2006, at St. Patrick's Catholic Church in Tama. A lunch will be served at the St. Patrick's Parish Center after interment at St. Patrick's cemetery.
The family is very grateful for the prayers and good wishes of family and friends and the tender care Johnnie received from the staff at Lantern Park Skilled Care Facility and Iowa City Hospice during his short illness.
A memorial fund has been established.