Rex Rickels March 10, 1933 – April 9, 2021

      Rex Rickels age 88, died Friday, April 9, 2021, at his home surrounded by his family.

      Funeral services will be held 1 p.m. Wednesday afternoon, April 14, 2021 at Wayne Zion Lutheran Church, rural Monticello, with interment in the Wayne Zion Cemetery. Visitation will be held from 11 a.m. until service time at the church. Pastor Wade Reddy will officiate at the services. Masks must be worn and fitted properly over the nose and mouth at all times to enter the church. Social distancing needs to be practiced as well. You may access the live service by going to Goettschonline.com and then by clicking the Watch Our Live Services on Facebook button which will direct you to our Facebook page. You may also sign the guestbook or leave a condolence.

      Surviving is his wife, Phyllis, four children, Mark (Donna) of Hoover, Ala., Mike (Deb Perkins) of Wyoming, Ranae (Scott) Rickels of Morrison, Ill., Sue (Larry) Ehrisman of Monticello, eight grandchildren, Brandon, Nick, Kerri, Austin, Evan, Ethan, Kelsey, Thomas and Mallory, seven great-grandchildren, and his siblings, Roger (Kathy) of Morley, David (Dixie) of Anamosa, Merle of Olin, Darrell of Harlingen, Texas, and Donna Joslin of Tucson, Ariz. He was preceded in death by his parents, and siblings, Virgil, Russell, Jerry, Juanita, Velda, and Delores.

      Rex Henry Rickels was born March 10, 1933 in Anamosa, Iowa. He was the son of Clarence and Martha Behnken, Rickels. He received his education in the rural schools near Amber. He worked as a farm hand before serving in the United States Army during the Korean War. Rex served in the Dog Platoon in the 2nd Infantry. His K9 was Lance. He returned home and married Phyllis Achey on Jan. 8, 1956 at the Methodist Church in Tipton. Rex drove a Redi Mix Truck at Lost Nation, Master Mix Feed Truck and then they farmed near Wyoming. He also worked at Big Bills in Wyoming as a truck driver then. In March 1968 they purchased a farm near Martelle. In 1976 he purchased the Olin Corners Restaurant at the corners of highway 64 and 38 north of Olin. He then returned to truck driving until he retired. In retirement Rex and Phyllis lived near the Monticello airport and Rex got acquainted with the J.B. Holland Company from Decorah that was updating the airport. He ended up operating heavy equipment for them until 2016 when his health caused him to retire for good. Rex enjoyed taking Phyllis for a drive through the countryside, going out to eat, dancing, telling stories, teaching grandkids, playing jokes/tricks on others, laughing and going gambling. He, in his younger years, loved to hunt pheasants, coyotes, fox and racoons with his brothers.