Gene Floyd Dickman , 92, of Le Mars, Iowa, formerly of Brunsville, Iowa, passed away peacefully, Thursday, January 2, 2020 at the Good Samaritan Society in Le Mars.

Funeral service will be 10:30 a.m. Friday, January 17, 2020 at St. Peter Lutheran Church in Brunsville.  Reverend Shawn Brooks will officiate.  Burial with military honors provided by the Heeren-McHale-Wilkens American Legion Post 724 of Brunsville will be in St. Peter Lutheran Cemetery in Brunsville.  Visitation will begin at 3:00 p.m. on Thursday, January 16, 2020 at Rexwinkel Funeral Home in Le Mars.  The family will be present at 5:00 p.m. and there will be a Prayer Service at 7:00 p.m.  Visitation will continue from 9:30 a.m. until service time on Friday at the church.  Arrangements are with the Rexwinkel Funeral Home in Le Mars.  Expressions of sympathy can be extended to the family through www.rexwinkelfh.com .

The family asks that memorials be directed to: Hospice of Siouxland – 4300 Hamilton Blvd. – Sioux City, IA 51104

Gene Dickman was born on September 23, 1927, in Brunsville, Iowa, to Floyd and Katherine (Harms) Dickman. He was given his name by his father who had said that he would be named after the winner of the famous "Long Count" fight between then champion, Gene Tunney and former Heavyweight champ, Jack Dempsey held in Chicago on September 22 ^nd . Gene attended school in Brunsville, Iowa through the 8 ^th grade and later attended Le Mars Central High School in Le Mars, IA. He was employed by Jack Reese at the Reese Oil Service and Gas Station and the Brunsville Grain Elevator in his youth.

His was truly a life of service. During WWII, he skipped his senior year of high school to enlist at the age of 17, in the United States Navy in May of 1945. His official enlistment date was moved back until September of that year and he was eventually sworn in the day following Japan's surrender to the Allies. He spent three years in the Navy, serving as a machinist mate on the USS War Hawk and the USS Doyle. Those ships were involved in troop transport and in mine sweeping operations. He considered his service in the Navy as one of the highlights of his life and enjoyed attending Navy reunions across the country in the years that followed. After his discharge from the Navy, he drove a redi-mix truck out of Le Mars, and later worked for Fritz Ludwigs at the Merrill Locker Plant.

On April 15 ^th , 1950, he was united in marriage to Cheryl Jean Luense in a service held in Brunsville, Iowa. The couple made their home in Merrill, Iowa, until 1958, when they moved to Brunsville, where Gene opened his own business, Gene's Processing. Gene successfully ran the locker plant in Brunsville until 1990. While in business, he developed a reputation for producing excellent sausage and other smoked meat products, several of which were named best in the state at the annual Meat Processors Association. Gene's Processing also became synonymous with quality wild game processing and the plant in Brunsville processed approximately 600-700 white tail deer annually. He was active in the meat industry, serving on the board of directors of the Iowa Meat Processors Association and was the organization's President in 1976. In 1990, he sold the business to his son Steve and Ron Geiger. That operation would become the Genesis of the Scooter's Natural Meats that now operates a new plant in Brunsville. In retirement he worked part time for Wells Blue Bunny at their milk plant in Le Mars.

Gene was active in his community, serving throughout his adult life as a member of the Brunsville city council. He was also the Brunsville Little League manager for many years. A lifetime member of St Peter Lutheran Church in Brunsville, he served on the church council and as congregational president. He was also a proud and active member of the Heeren-McHale-Wilkens American Legion Post 724 of Brunsville. His was certainly a life well lived. His humility, work ethic, love of family, of country & community, the outdoors, and sincere patriotism continue to serve as a shining example to all of us who loved him.

Gene and Cheryl loved music and ballroom dancing. The couple spent much of their shared retirement years traveling to ballrooms across the upper Midwest. They were immediately recognizable with their "gliding" style across the dance floor and were tagged by many as the "Dancing Dickmans".

Survivors include his six children, Steve (Peggy) of Brunsville, Stan (Marsha) of Spearfish, SD, Scott (Lori) of Rockford, IL, Susan (Dwayne) Braun of St. Joseph, MO, Stuart (Donna) of Le Mars and Stacie (Brett) Faber of Aurora, NE: sixteen grandchildren: Alex (Toni) of Deadwood, SD, Nick & Dan Dickman of Brunsville, Joe Dickman of Ft Bridger, WY, Anne (Austin) Travis of Sheridan, WY, Ryan Nicholson of Minneapolis, MN, Katie (Jeff) Kinsley of Aurora, NE, Jonathan Braun of NYC, Emily Braun of Lincoln, NE, Maggie Dickman of NYC, Drew & Abbie Dickman of Le Mars, Aly, Paige, Lexie and Dane all of Aurora, NE, and five great grandchildren; his sister Doris Brooks; two brother in laws, Ben (VerJean) Luense and Jim (Lorrie) Luense; and a sister in law, Pat (Denny) Zoerink; along with numerous nephews, nieces and cousins.

He was proceeded in death by the love of his life, wife Cheryl (2008); his parents, Floyd and Katherine Dickman; brother, Don Dickman and his wife Imogene; and brother in law, Dr. Leonard Brooks.