John Herren

John David Herren was born June 17, 1936 at New Market, IA to James D. and Lydia Reidlinger Herren.

John grew up in New Market and graduated from New Market High School in 1954. There he met the love of his life, Phyllis Brooks. Together they attended and graduated from Clarinda Jr. College in 1956.

John and Phyllis were married May 27, 1956 in the New Market Methodist Church and were inseparable from that day forward.

To this union were born: Diane Lee, David Kemp and Dana Ray.

Johns' mother passed away when he was 17 days old. His father's sister, Zetta Noble took him into their home to raise him as their own. His ties to New Market were never broken. John had a sister Joyce, who was 7 years older. She was raised by his father's other sister Holly Clark, also of New Market. John and Joyce remained close through their childhood into adulthood.

Zetta and Walter Noble were always Mom and Dad and no 2 people could have been better loving parents. Also in the home were twin cousins, Bill and Fred, who were 11 years older and John immediately became their little brother. This was the musical family that instilled the love of music in John.

John was a well-known accomplished pianist. However, in 1960 any dream of a musical future came to an end when he suffered a gunshot to the back while hunting. This ended his ability to play the piano again. The Lord had other plans for John. Through a long recovery John never lost his deep love for hunting. He was able to take his young sons out into the hunting world where they acquired the same love for hunting as their father. John was a dedicated teacher of hunter safety which he instilled in David and Dana. He enjoyed many years of hunting and fishing with his sons with a lifetime of memories to live on.

Johns' father moved to Pennsylvania upon the death of John's mother to find work. They never saw much of each other during John's childhood but remained close. His father remarried and John now had a half-brother and step brother in Pennsylvania. John knew he wanted to be a business owner from working in his aunt's grocery store in high school. They moved to Council Bluffs in 1956 and this dream became a reality in 1962 when John opened Herren Standard Service. He remained a hard-working business owner until 1985 when he sold out. Phyllis was his 24/7 partner during those years being his bookkeeper.

From 1985 to 1991 he worked for another business but his heart was not into working for someone else.

In 1991 he started "JD's Lawn Care & Snow Removal" which he operated for 15 years. Phyllis worked alongside him as well as being bookkeeper.

The death of his youngest son Dana, was a heavy burden that he was never able to understand. It left a void in his life that he was never able to fill.

In 2017 John suffered a stroke which ended his days of travel and adventure. He recovered at home and in 2019 he decided that he and Phyllis should sell their home and move to assisted living. It was a decision made easily as Phyllis had been diagnosed with cancer in 2018 and faced a long treatment of chemo and radiation. It was after this move that John had a serious illness that made it necessary for him to become a resident of Bethany Lutheran Nursing Home. Phyllis remained at their assisted living apartment in Bethany Heights and for the first time in 63 years of marriage they were separated.

After 2 ½ years of extraordinary care at Glen Haven Village in Glenwood, IA, John passed away peacefully, surrounded by his family on July 18, 2025.

John is survived by daughter and son-in-law Diane & Steve Burroughs, son and daughter-in-law, David & Valerie Herren, brother James of Deed Pennsylvania, 4 grandchildren and 3 great grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by his parents James & Lydia Herren, aunt and uncle that raised him Walter & Zetta Noble, son Dana Herren, brother Marvin Herren, sister and brother-in-law Joyce & George Swan, adopted brothers Bill and Fred Noble and nephew Terrance Swan. John praised the Lord till the day he went to his Heavenly Father.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to the family for later distribution according to John's wishes