Obituaries » Charles Herfkens
Charles Herfkens
October 26, 1937 - November 6, 2023
Service Date: November 11, 2023
Charles “Chuck” Herfkens, age 86, passed away on November 6, 2023.
Visitation will be held from 4:00-6:00 p.m. on Friday, November 10, 2023, at Our Lady’s Immaculate Heart Catholic Church (510 E. 1st St., Ankeny) with a Mass of Christian Burial at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, November 11, 2023, also at the church.
Chuck was born on October 26, 1937, near Wynot, Nebraska, to Dorothy and August “Gus” Herfkens. His family later moved to Fairbury, Nebraska, where he completed high school and Junior College.
Chuck began a career in retail store operations upon graduation from the University of Nebraska in 1959. He met his wife, Geraldine “Geri” (Politano), in Hastings, Nebraska, in 1960 while she was on nursing affiliation training and he was a management trainee for Montgomery Ward. Geri and Chuck were married in 1961 in Price, Utah.
After 17 ½ years with Ward’s he went to work for a regional retailer, Duckwall/ALCO Stores. Chuck’s career in retail store operations took the family to Oklahoma, Texas, Kansas, Nebraska, and Iowa. After 25 years with Duckwall/ALCO, he retired and they moved to Ankeny in 2001.
Shortly after retirement, he obtained his real estate license and sold residential real estate, affiliated with Coldwell Banker, for 9 ½ years retiring from real estate in 2011.
Chuck is survived by his wife of 62 years, Geri; daughters, Teresa Herfkens of Des Moines, Janice (Mark) Thomas of Des Moines, Judith (Steven) Svendsen of Clive, and Tammy (Faysal) Mashaqi of Burlington Township, New Jersey; 10 grandchildren, many great-grandchildren, as well as numerous nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by an infant daughter, Sandra; five brothers, three sisters, and his parents.
In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to St. Vincent DePaul Food Pantry (1426 6th Ave., Des Moines, IA 50314) or Our Lady’s Immaculate Heart Catholic Church.