Daniel Francis Heying, 79
Daniel Francis Heying, age 79 of North Washington, died Saturday, Feb. 1, 2025, at his home from complications of Frontal Temporal Dementia.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, Feb. 11, 2025, at Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in North Washington with the Rev. James Goerend celebrating the Mass.
Interment will follow at St. Mary’s Catholic Cemetery, North Washington.
Friends may greet the family from 4 to 7 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 10, 2025, at Hugeback-Johnson Funeral Home & Crematory in New Hampton.
Visitation continues an hour prior to the Mass on Tuesday at the church.
Daniel “Dan” Francis Heying was born Sept. 30, 1945, to Linus and Rita (Bohr) Heying, the oldest of six children.
He grew up on farms near North Washington, where he developed a strong work ethic and compassion for other people. He never knew a stranger. Everyone was a friend he hadn’t met yet.
Dan attended and graduated from St. Mary’s Catholic School in North Washington, Class of 1963. After graduation, he worked for John Deere in Waterloo until being drafted into the U.S. Army in 1965. He was honorably discharged in 1967 from Fort Bliss in El Paso Texas and immediately began farming — milking cows and raising livestock near North Washington.
Dan was united in marriage to Sharon Kay Dvorak on April 4, 1970, at Our Lady of Lourdes in Lourdes. They met at a ballgame in Elma and when they got together – Dan couldn’t dance and Sharon couldn’t play cards. They did both with a passion when they had free time.
Dan and Sharon not only milked cows but farmed together and welcomed two children, Kathryn Ann and Christopher Daniel. When he wasn’t farming he enjoyed being with his family and especially with his grandchildren. He was officially “Grandpa with the Tractors!”
He also was a hay jockey, bringing the big bales to those that needed them, as well as chopping hay for some of his neighbors. Dan enjoyed a good “ranger ride” to check the crops and hay.
He loved his smooth-writing pens (he had his own stache!) He also loved his peanut M&M’s, popcorn, a DQ Heath Blizzard and a great game of Euchre using twp jokers!
Reading became a favorite pastime, especially in retirement – everything but science fiction.
Dan and Sharon also enjoy their bus trips and visiting as many states as they could throughout the years. Dan just loved to talk to people --— whether he was chauffeuring his Mennonite neighbors or sitting on the bench at Walmart or Fareway while Sharon ran errands!
Dan served as a Director for Foremost Farms as a younger dairyman, which also allowed the couple to travel.
Dan had such a deep faith and love for his church family. Throughout the years he was an active member of the North Washington’s Men’s Choir, served on the Immaculate Conception’s Parish Council, was a Eucharistic Minister and Usher. He was a member of the Catholic Order of Foresters.
After retiring from farming, he worked for Hugeback-Johnson Funeral Home for several years and continued his service to others.
Survivors include his wife of almost 55 years, Sharon; two children, Kathy (Jason) Schaufenbuel of Waverly, and Chris (Larina) Heying of Alta Vista; two grandchildren, Ian (Courtney Hoffman) Schaufenbuel of Cedar Rapids and Erin Schaufenbuel of Waverly; five step-grandchildren; five sisters, Marlys (Raymond) Kobliska of Elma, Louise Schwickerath of New Hampton, Irene (Cecil) Bullis of Waterloo, Mary (Dave) Capper of Washington, and Rose (Doug) Ganfield of Dumont; mother-in-law, Mary Dvorak of Elma; two brothers-in-law, Jerry (Barb) Dvorak of Decorah, and Steve Dvorak of Elma; one sister-in-law, Connie (Joe) Burke of New Hampton; and numerous nieces and nephews.
He is preceded in death by his parents, Linus (1985) and Rita (2009); father-in-law, Truman Dvorak (1996); brother-in-law, John Schwickerath; nephew, Bille Kobliska; and sister-in-law, Barb Price Dvorak.
