Joseph Quentin Heitshusen

Family Funeral Services for immediate and extended family will be held on Tuesday, July 7 at 10:30 a.m. at United Trinity Church in Hamburg.  The Funeral will be Live Streamed at the Hamburg Elementary School Gym AND the Farragut High School Gym for those who wish to go to one of these places to watch the funeral.  The Funeral will also be Live Streamed from Gude Funeral Homes Facebook page.

Family visitation will be held at the Farragut High School Gym from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. on Monday (7/6).

A Cup of Joe

Tense moments filled the delivery room of the Shenandoah Hospital on May 31, 1995 as doctors worked to get Joseph Quentin Heitshusen to breathe.  Then finally, a sigh of relief when Quentin and Jane heard their precious son cry for the first time.  Joseph’s entrance into this world was unforgettable and so was the life he embraced. 

Being the youngest of the Heitshusen children, Joseph held his own with his older brother Carroll and sister Clara.  The family lived in Farragut, Iowa where Joseph was doted on by his neighbors.  When he entered preschool and earned some freedom with his bike, he could often be found hanging out with his buddies around town.   Given the fact that they lived so close to the ball field, many days were spent playing catch, hitting balls and picking up games.  Trips to local farm ponds to fish were also a treat for Joseph and his dad.  Many afternoons and evenings were spent behind a fishing pole. Camping out with friends was also a fun summer treat, especially when they would run the extension cord from the house to the tent, so they could play video games all night!   During the winter months you could find Joseph competing on the wrestling mat representing the Elks Youth Wrestling Program.    

Joseph loved sports!  He not only wrestled but was also passionate about playing football, playing baseball and later slow pitch softball.  He was a well-rounded athlete that was a fierce competitor on the field, but friends with all as soon as the game ended.  Over the years he played on league baseball team with his buddy Riley at Strike Zone in Omaha, played town ball for Farragut, wrestled as a Shenandoah Mustang, and played baseball and football as both a Farragut Admiral and a Nishnabotna Blue Devil.  When he was younger, he was part of a Farragut, Tabor, Shenandoah baseball team that managed to pull together a huge victory at the Bedford Baseball Tournament, one extremely hot summer day.  It never mattered the initial on your ball cap if you were ready to play and compete when the game started.  

As Joseph started high school, his fast pace life continued.   You could find him driving his teal truck to Fareway early in the morning to unload the truck.  If it was during wrestling season, you might catch him running around town trying to cut weight, or find that his mood was less then desirable when getting ready to weigh in.  That was Joseph, the kid who wore his heart on his sleeve and had a great passion for everything he did.  We cannot forget to include the hours spent in his basement or at a friend’s house chilling out and playing video games.  The gaming continued into adult life with many intense games between Boyd, Tyler and Jared.  The Chicago Cubs, Iowa Hawkeyes and Kansas City Chiefs were tops on Joseph’s list.  Many, many hours were spent watching his teams and rooting as loud as he could.  

It was during high school that he met his soul mate, Jacy Hendrickson. The two of them were inseparable.  Jacy was welcomed into the Heitshusen family and into the inner circle of Joseph’s buddies. They were each other’s cheerleaders, prom dates, and best friends. Although Troy and Michelle already looked to Joseph as a son, it was still a tense moment when Joseph asked for her hand in marriage. He was so nervous!  A beautiful fall day on November 2, 2019 was the backdrop for Joseph and Jacy's marriage at the Trinity Church in Hamburg. The couple enjoyed golfing, playing cards at the Heitshusen’s home, entertaining friends, a fun trip to Chicago, exploring the mountains during a trip to Colorado, tending to the garden and just being together.   

Following high school Joseph attended college at Iowa Western Community College. He worked for Fareway, was a sports reporter for the Shenandoah Valley News, where he had his weekly column titled “Cup of Joe” and was currently a security officer at NPPD Cooper Nuclear Station. Joseph made many friends at his job and worked hard to earn their respect. In the eyes of many, Joseph had the world in his hands!  He had a beautiful wife, a job he enjoyed, was a new homeowner, a fun-loving dad to their puppy Ross, and was enjoying times spent with family and friends. (Especially beating Blake in their final round of golf)  On June 27, 2020 life changed for Joseph, Jacy, their families and friends.  Joseph entered eternal life and the rest of us are left to miss and love him from a distance.  It is our faith in a loving and merciful God and a risen Savior Jesus Christ that gives up the hope that one day we will be reunited with him and all our loved ones in heaven.  We will lean on this everlasting promise to help us get through these next days and months without him. 

Joseph was welcomed into heaven by his grandparents: Harold Heitshusen, LaVona Donohoe, Carroll Berry and Kenny Donohoe.    

Those left to cherish his memory include his beloved wife Jacy; parents Quentin and Jane Heitshusen; siblings Carroll Heitshusen and fiancé Laura Jean Perry and Clara Heitshusen; grandmother Flora Heitshusen; mother and father-in-law Troy and Michelle Hendrickson; sister-in-law Taryn Osborne and husband James; brother-in-law Alec Hendrickson and fiancé Ashlee Fish; Jacy’s grandparents; Ray and Linda Hendrickson and Gerry and LaDonna Waltemath; numerous aunts, uncles, cousins, and a wonderful group of friends.    

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be given to the family.

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