Jack E. Hendrickson of Grinnell, Iowa passed away at Grinnell Regional Medical Center on Monday, January 23, 2023, surrounded by his family.

Visitation will be held at Smith Funeral Home in Grinnell, Iowa on Thursday, January 26th from 4:00 p.m.—7:00 p.m.

Funeral services will be held at Grinnell United Methodist Church in Grinnell, Iowa on Friday, January 27th at 10:30 a.m. with a private graveside service and luncheon to follow.

Memorials may be designated to Grinnell United Methodist Church Youth Group or the St. Francis Manor Foundation in c/o of the Smith Funeral Home, PO Box 368, Grinnell, IA 50112.

Jack was born in a farmhouse just north of Cotter, Iowa on December 7, 1937, to Bill and Evelyn Hendrickson—the third of their four children. Along with older brothers, Don and Dick, and younger sister, Ruth, he grew up on the farm. His experiences there led to a lifetime spent working in the agriculture industry. He graduated as valedictorian and class president of Cotter High School in 1956, but anytime he mentioned this fact his family loved to remind him there were only three other students in his graduating class. After attending college for a short period of time, he enlisted in the United States Air Force from 1960 to 1964, serving as an airman first class on bases in Rapid City, South Dakota and Tripoli, Libya. He often said that his time spent in Libya was the most boring time of his life. After leaving the Air Force, he returned to college and earned a bachelor's degree in business administration from the University of Iowa in 1965. In 1969 he began a 32-year career at Farm Service (FS)/GROWMARK, Inc. starting as a salesman at S/M Farm Service in Walcott, Iowa and eventually becoming the general manager at Pow-Jasper Farm Service in Grinnell, Iowa (1985-1992) and at North Central Farm Service in Hampton, Iowa (1992-2000). He retired to Grinnell, Iowa in 2000.

Jack married Dona K. Trede on August 7, 1965—having met her on a blind date just one year earlier—and they remained happily married until Jack's death. The couple initially settled in Dona's hometown of Davenport, Iowa where both of their children, Scott (1969) and Michele (1973), were born. The family also lived in Effingham, Illinois and Hampton, Iowa, but it was Grinnell, Iowa that became "home". At all their homes, Jack undertook major home improvement projects such as finishing a basement or adding a bathroom. Although the result was always beautiful, he grudgingly tolerated his family's teasing about the hiccups he encountered along the way, such as "that time you almost burned the house down soldering copper pipe."

Jack was an active member of his community. He served as chairman of both the Grinnell Chamber of Commerce and the Senior Chamber of Commerce, president of the Grinnell Rotary Club, and president of the Franklin County Iowa Development Corporation. He was an active member of the Grinnell United Methodist Church, and a former member of the Grinnell Rotary Club, Grinnell Lion's, and Grinnell Elks Lodge.

In addition to his home improvement projects, Jack's favorite hobbies included woodworking, playing golf, cheering for the Iowa Hawkeyes, naps, and watching his grandsons (Presly and Ely) play baseball in the summer, football in the fall, and wrestle in the winter. His greatest joy, however, was in the pride he took in the individuals his children and grandsons grew to be. He was looking forward to welcoming a great granddaughter to the family this coming summer.

He is survived by his wife Dona of Grinnell, Iowa; children Scott of Omaha, Nebraska and Michele Royer (Aaron Christiansen) of Ankeny, Iowa; grandchildren Presly Royer (Marissa Gonzalez) of Johnston, Iowa and Ely Royer of Ankeny, Iowa. He also is survived by his siblings Dick and Ruth; sisters-in-law Vicki and Gayle; brothers-in-law Dennis, Frank, and Phil; several nieces and nephews; and numerous friends.

Jack is preceded in death by his parents Bill and Evelyn; brother Don; father- and mother-in-law Woody and Dorothy; and sisters-in-law Ethel, Joanne and Sandy.