Owen Walter Hiniker, the son of Walter and Cecelia (Aurit) Hiniker, was born January 18, 1925 in Mankato, MN. His childhood years were spent in Mankato where he received his education. He graduated from Mankato High School in 1943. Following graduation, Owen served in the Navy during WWII as a Seabee helping with the building of the Landing bases on Okinawa.
On October 18, 1948, he was united in marriage to Eileen Kellen, at the St. Columba Catholic Church in Iona, MN. Owen worked for 17 years on large scale electrical projects including Gavins Point Dam, various missile bases in Nebraska and Kansas, and the Tennessee Valley Authority dams in Kentucky and Tennessee. They moved to Cherokee in 1965, to help build Wilson Packing Plant. He remained at Wilson's where he worked as an electrician until his retirement in 1987.
Owen had been a member of the IBEW Local 231 for 64 years. He was an active member of the Immaculate Conception Catholic Church, VFW, and the UFCW. He was also an avid fisherman, enjoyed hunting, boating, woodworking, restoring antique furniture, and having coffee with his buddies. Most of all, Owen enjoyed spending time with his family and friends.
On February 1, 2013, Owen passed away at the Cherokee Villa at the age of 88. He was preceded in death by his parents, Walter and Cecelia Hiniker; one brother, Daryl Hiniker; one brother in law, Richard Erickson; and one sister-in-law, Faye Hiniker.
He will be lovingly remembered by his wife of 64 years, Eileen Hiniker; two daughters, Linda Hiniker of Fort Dodge, IA, and Jan (Kenneth) Kistenmacher of Cherokee. One granddaughter, Kristi (Benjamin) Held of Iowa City, IA; one grandson, Keith Kistenmacher of West Des Moines, IA; two great-grandchildren, Alexandria and Edmund Held of Iowa City, IA; two brothers, Loren (Gloria) Hiniker of San Antonio, TX, and Roger (Arvis) Hiniker of Oceanside, CA; two sisters, Marilyn Erickson of Coon Rapids, MN, and Lorraine (Wayne) Mayer of Hoyt Lakes, MN; as well as several nieces; nephews; other relatives; and friends.
SERVICES
Funeral services will be held at 10:30 A.M. Tuesday, February 5, 2013, at the Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in Cherokee.
OFFICIATING
Father Dan Guenther
CASKET BEARERS
Denny DeYoung
Kory Schwartz
Rodney Groepper
Ron Bush
Melvin Zollman
VISITATION
Visitation will begin at 1:00 P.M. Monday, with the family present from 5:00-7:00 P.M. Monday night at Greenwood-Schubert Funeral Home in Cherokee. There will be a 7:00 P.M. prayer service Monday night at the funeral home.
MUSIC
Organist- Suzanne Winterhof
Vocalists- I.C. Funeral Choir
INTERMENT
Mt. Calvary Cemetery
Cherokee, iowa
Military services will be provided by the VFW L.A. Wescott Post 2253 of Cherokee.