Ervin Ehm

Funeral Services: Will be held on Tuesday, January 3, 2017, at 10:30 a.m. at the Emmanuel Lutheran Church in Fontanelle with burial in the Greenfield Cemetery. Pastor Steven Broers will officiate the service. A luncheon will be held at the church following the burial.  

Visitation: The family will greet friends on Monday at the Steen Funeral Home in Greenfield from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. 

Memorials: The family request that memorials be given to the Fontanelle Emmanuel Lutheran Church, Adair County Health Foundation or Greenfield or Fontanelle Public Libraries. 

Ervin John Ehm was born February 22, 1924, to Conrad and Christina (Marckmann) Ehm in rural Fontanelle, Adair County, Iowa. He was baptized on April 4, 1924 and confirmed on June 5, 1938, at Emmanuel Lutheran Church of Fontanelle. He grew up in the rural Fontanelle area and graduated from Fontanelle High School in 1942. He married Ione Brown on February 25, 1945, at Emmanuel Lutheran Church.

Ervin and Ione started farming southeast of Fontanelle. After the arrival of Maurice Allen, 1946 and Marvin Gene, 1948, they moved to southwest of Greenfield in 1950. Bonnie Elaine arrived in 1952. In 1995, Ervin and Ione retired from the farm and moved to a new home in the town of Greenfield.

Ervin’s (and Ione’s) farming vocation was diversified with a four crop rotation, cow-calf herds, farrow-finish hogs, chick-layer hens, garden and orchard. Ervin managed their land using soil and conservation stewardship practices for which they received several awards. Ervin served on church council, Summerset Township Trustees, Farmers’ Co-op Board, Extension Service Council, and along with Ione was a Luther League sponsor for nine years.

He is survived by his children, Maurice (Diana) Ehm, Marvin (Faye) Ehm and Bonnie (Henry) Hyda, eight grandchildren: Heather (Dana) LeVasseur, Melissa (Curtis) Pote, Kirstin Ehm (Max Kenkel), Jess (Joni) Ehm, Lydia Ehm, Eden Ehm, Jill Hyda, and Tracey (Bryce) Kolund, ten great-grandchildren: Porter, Preston, Peyton and Parker LeVasseur; Isabella, Landon, and Lucianna Pote; Clinton and Isaac Ehm; and Shea and baby boy Kolund (arriving February 2017) and three nieces. He was preceded in death by his wife of 67 years, Ione, his parents, a sister, Marie Winkler, an infant brother, Marvin Dean, brothers-in-law, LeRoy Winkler and Fred Fischer, sister-in-law, Roene Fischer, and a nephew.

The family request that memorials be given to Emmanuel Lutheran Church, Fontanelle; Adair County Health Foundation; or either Greenfield or Fontanelle Public Libraries.