Gary N. Uhl Obituary

Gary Uhl, 79, of Ankeny passed away April 16, 2019.

A funeral service will be held 10:30 a.m., Saturday, April 20, 2019 at Memorial Services of Iowa funeral home (4208 N Ankeny Blvd). A visitation will be held 5:00pm to 7:00pm, Friday, April 19th, also at the funeral home.

Gary was born on December 12, 1939 in Sioux City, Iowa, to Edward and Elizabeth (Flammang) Uhl. As a boy he was raised on a farm in Emerson, Nebraska. He moved to Hinton, Iowa as a young man. Gary joined the Army in 1968 and served in the 133rd Iowa Army National Guard. He was deployed to Vietnam in 1969 and served there for 9 months as a SP5 in the Quang Tri province.

During his service time to our country, he married the love of his life Cheryl Swendson in Sioux City on January 4, 1969. They lived in Sioux City for 11 years where they made their home and had 4 children. Gary worked at Kay Dee Feed Company during this time. In 1980 Cheryl was relocated and they moved their family to Ankeny. They lived in Ankeny for the next 8 years before moving to Woodstock, Illinois. In 1992 they moved back to Ankeny. Gary got a job working for the Ankeny Parks and Rec Department, where he worked until his retirement.

Gary liked to spend his free time fishing and hunting, and he spent a lot of his free time in his gardens. He planted everything from carrots to corn, radashes to raspberries, tomatoes to turnips. He was especially fond of planting and growing potatoes, and was so good at it, he often bragged about how well he did. Gary was so proud of it, he often referred to himself as the Potato King.

Gary loved to sit and visit with family and friends, and reminisce and tell stories, like the classic "from Jerry to Janet- that's the way it 'twas."

Gary is survived by his children, James, Mindy (Jim) Voigt, Missy (Jeramy) Bergwall, and Mike; 8 grandchildren, Ryan and Sydney Uhl, Jet and Scout Bergwall, Jack, Anna, and Charlie Voigt, and Tanner Hedstrand; 5 brothers, Paul, Eddie, Carl, Jeff and Den,: 4 sisters; Jean, Audra, Carol and Jan and many cousins, nieces, nephews, and friends.

He was preceded in death by his wife Cheryl.