Florence T. Gephart

12/25/1912 –

04/17/2011

Bernard T. Meiners, 95 of Coon Rapids, died Monday, September 1, 2025 at Thomas Rest Haven in Coon Rapids surrounded by his family.

Mass of the Christian Burial will be celebrated at 10:30 a.m., Friday, September 5, 2025 at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Dedham. The Celebrant will be Fr. Patrick Behm, assisted by Deacon Louis Meiners. Music will be by Jane Heithoff and the St. Joseph’s Choir. Lector for the Funeral Mass will be Jill Klein. Gift Bearers will be Talina Haskins, Caitlin ThongVahn, and Amanda Meiners. Casket Bearers will be Brian Meiners, Ben Meiners, Aaron Meiners, Lucas Meiners, Jason Nees, Mike Nees, Ryan Schultes, Tyler Schultes, Jordan Schultes, Justin Meiners, and Trenton Meiners. Burial will be in St. Joseph’s Cemetery in Dedham with military honors conducted by the Dedham American Legion.

A visitation will be held from 5-7 p.m. on Thursday at the Sharp Funeral Home in Carroll with a rosary at 7 p.m. The casket will be moved to St. Joseph’s Church on Friday morning where additional visitation will be from 9:30-10:15 a.m. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be left at the funeral home or the church for a later designation.

Funeral arrangements are under the guidance of the Sharp Funeral Home in Carroll and online condolences may be left for Bernard’s family at www.sharpfuneral.com.

Florence Gephart, age 98, of Carroll, Iowa, died Sunday, April 17, 2011, at Twilight Acres Nursing Home in Wall Lake.
Mass of the Christian Burial will be celebrated at 11 A.M., Tuesday, April 19, 2011, at Holy Spirit Church in Carroll. The Celebrant will be Father Timothy Johnson. The casket will be taken to the church at 9 A.M. Tuesday to lie in state until the time of the funeral mass. Lector will be Shirley Robertson. Gift Bearers will be Joyce Wessling and Carolyn Schreck. Eucharistic Ministers will be Cheri Theulen and Sandy Loffelholz. Music will be by Barb McDermott and the Holy Spirit Choir. Casket Bearers will be Greg Schreck, Mike Eischeid, R.T. Schreck, Larry Fast, Al Eischeid, and Roger Eischeid. Graveside Service will be held at 2 P.M. Tuesday at St. Augustine Cemetery in Halbur.
Friends may call at the Sharp Funeral Home in Carroll after 3:30 P.M. Monday. A rosary will be prayed at 4 P.M. Monday followed by a Christian wake service at 6:30 P.M. Monday by Holy Spirit Parish.
Florence was born on December 25, 1912, at Halbur, Iowa, the daughter of Theodore Sr. and Anna Marie (Wittrock) Eischeid. She spent her younger years in the Halbur community and attended St. Augustine School. She later moved to Des Moines where she was employed as a waitress and met her future husband Cato. Florence and Cato Gephart were married on September 9, 1950, at Junction City, Kansas. The couple made their home in Des Moines where Florence was employed as a packer for moving companies and was a sales representative for Avon Products. Following her husbands death in 1972 she returned to Carroll to make her home. She was a member of Holy Spirit Parish and the Parish Ladies Guild. Florence enjoyed playing bingo, playing cards, dancing, and visiting with her family and friends.
Florence is survived by her son, Thomas T. Gephart of Mesa, Ariz.; ten grandchildren; twenty great grandchildren; her sisters, Irma Fast of Windom, Minn. and Marie Schreck of Carroll; sisters-in-law, Mary Eischeid of Spencer, Jeanette Eischeid of Carroll, Irene Eischeid of Halbur, and Darlene Riesberg and her husband Don of Halbur; and by many nieces and nephews.
She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, Cato Gephart, in February 1972; three sisters, Lorine Sextro, Louise Boeckman, and Tillie Busenbark; and five brothers, Leonard Eischeid, Hilbert Eischeid, Ted Eischeid, Jr., Louis Eischeid, and Alvin Eischeid.

Church Service

Friday, September 5, 2025 10:30 a.m.
St. Joseph’s Catholic Church
420 3rd Ave, Dedham, IA 51440

Burial

Sharp Funeral Home ~ Carroll, Iowa

226 W. 8th St., Carroll, IA, 51401

712-792-4301

[email protected]

https://www.sharpfuneral.com

Church Service

Thursday, September 4, 2025
5:00 – 7:00 p.m. – Rosary at 7:00 p.m.
Sharp Funeral Home – Carroll
226 W. 8th St, Carroll, IA 50401

Friday, September 5, 2025
9:30 – 10:15 a.m.
St. Joseph’s Catholic Church
420 3rd Ave, Dedham, IA 51440

Obituary

Born March 31, 1930, he was the son of Bernard and Catherine (Rotert) Meiners. He grew up in the Dedham-Willey area and graduated from St. Mary’s School in Willey in 1943. He entered the U.S. Army July 8, 1953 and was stationed at Wurzburg, Germany. He was discharged on May 20, 1955.

Bernard married Dolores S. Halbur on January 24, 1956 at St. Augustine Catholic Church in Halbur. After being married Bernard and Dolores lived 3 miles north of Dedham for two years. In 1958, they moved to the farm they purchased four miles east of Dedham. They were the parents of six children: Daniel, Dale, David, Cathleen, Christine, and Gary. Dolores passed away January 21, 1978.

On August 9, 1980, Bernard married Marita Eickman at Annunciation Catholic Church in Coon Rapids. In May 2011, Bernard and Marita moved off the farm into the town of Coon Rapids, Iowa. They made their home there for 14 years. In April 2025, they moved to Parkview Assisted Living in Coon Rapids, Iowa.

During Bernard’s lifetime, he farmed, had a dairy operation, had a cow/calf operation, and raised hogs. He retired in 1992. He is a current member of St. Joseph’s Catholic Church of Dedham, a member of the Dedham American Legion Post #20, and a member of the Manning VFW. In July 2001 Bernard, being a Korean Veteran, had the privilege to go on the Military Honor Flight to Washington DC. Just recently he was presented with a Quilt of Valor at Thomas Rest Haven, and at the age of 95 he still enjoyed attending the Legion meetings.

Bernard loved spending time with his children, grandchildren and great grandchildren. Holiday gatherings were a treat for him to get to see most of them at one time. In his spare time Bernard enjoyed gathering black walnuts in the fall and kept busy shelling the walnuts during the winter. Family and friends benefited from the fruits of his labor.

Bernard is survived by his wife of 45 years, Marita Meiners; his children, Dale (Mary) Meiners of Carroll, David (Jane) Meiners of Varna, IL, Cathleen (Larry) Nees of Coon Rapids, Christine (Mark) Schultes of Dedham, and Gary (Barb) Meiners of Manson; 19 grandchildren; 32 great grandchildren with 2 more coming in October; a brother Anthony (Colleen) Meiners of Carroll; 2 sisters, Catherine Wittrock of Carroll and Marcella Naberhaus of Carroll; his sisters-in-laws, Margaret (Tom) Denker of Manning, and Pat (Joe) Goblirsch of Jesup. He is also survived by Marita’s children, Richard (Sandy) Eickman of Omaha, NE, James (Joni) Eickman of Dyer, TN, Dave (Joan) Eickman of Macungie, PA, Randy (Rose) Eickman of Coon Rapids, Nancy Eickman and Jim Springer of Warren, NJ, and Karen Heck of Delano, MN, and many nieces and nephews.

Bernard was preceded in death by his first wife Dolores S. Meiners; a son Daniel J. Meiners; Marita’s son Bill Eickman; his parents Bernard and Catherine Meiners; his brothers John (Margaret) Meiners, Albert (Frances) Meiners; his brothers-in-law Clarence Wittrock, Norbert Naberhaus, Cletus (Emaline) Halbur, Norman (Inez) Halbur, Larry (JoAnn) Halbur; his brother-in-law, William (Marie) Halbur; Dolores’ parents, William and Frances Halbur, and stepmother-in-law, Josephine Halbur.

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