Charles Herrick

Charles Herrick passed away Friday, December 3, 2021, at the Madison County Memorial Hospital/EveryStep Hospice surrounded by his family. Charles James Herrick was born on August 7, 1934, to James and Lela Harrison Herrick. He was the second of six children, his siblings being Neva Sidoreus, Donald (Dean), Charlotte Drake, Paul and David. He started grade school in Macksburg, and also went to Earlham, Jackson #4, and Penn #4. He received his GED while living in Coos Bay, Oregon in 1956. Charles married Katherine Louisa Binns on August 14, 1955. They were the parents of two children, Bob and Susan. Charles enlisted in the United States Air Force on June 4, 1956. During his service, he was stationed at Keesler Air Force Base in Biloxi, MS; North Bend, Oregon AFSTA, Saskatoon Air Station in Beaverlodge Alberta, Canada; Kirksville, MO, and Madison, WI. He was discharged on December 10, 1960 from Richards-Gebaur Air Force Base in Kansas City, MO. Charles’ first job was at Inland Mills, a flour mill, in Des Moines. He started farming on his own in 1962, and did so for 37 years, retiring in 1999. He attended the United Electronics Institute in Des Moines. Upon completion of his training, he accepted a position with Motorola in Quincy, Illinois. He also had his own CB repair business. He eventually went to work for Iowa Public Television, where he worked for 27 years. Other interests included baseball, camping, hunting, fishing, CB Club, traveling, baseball, roller skating, collecting Beanie Babies, watching NASCAR races on TV, family gatherings, and spending winters in Arizona. He liked to do word find puzzles, chewing Doublemint and Trident Tropical Twist gum, and eating ice cream, even for breakfast! Charles was preceded in death by his parents, wife Katherine, sister Neva and brother-in-law Rocky Sidoreous, brother Donald (Dean), and sister Charlotte and brother-in-law William Drake. Those left to cherish his memory are his children, Bob (Julie) Herrick and Susan (David) McDonald; grandchildren Tye (Megan) Herrick, Tiffany (Nathan) Wheeldon, Renee (Steve) Schipper, Michael (Sally) McDonald, and Kenneth (Jill) McDonald, and great-grandchildren Christopher (Haley) Herrick, Alex Herrick, Nicholas Herrick, Abigail Herrick, Elijah Wheeldon, Isaiah Wheeldon, Owen Schipper, Colt Schipper, and Vivienne McDonald; his brothers Paul (Marilyn) Herrick and David Herrick; sister-in-law Maryann Garrison, and brothers-in-law Reg Garrison and Earl Binns. He will also be fondly remembered by numerous extended relatives and friends.