Orlan Reimer
Orlan Herman Reimer, 95, of Elkader, died peacefully Saturday, February 8, 2020, at the Elkader Care
Center. He was born on August 12, 1924, the third son of Henry and Lucy (Mueller) Reimer.
Orlan had a strong work ethic, starting at II years old as a stock boy at Priece's Grocery. When he was
12, he also had a job one or two nights a week helping to fill penny peanut machines in the area.
As a teenager, he worked as a clerk at the Coast-to-Coast store and at D & D Creamery, where he helped
deliver milk, churn butter and make ice cream. During the summers, he installed lightning rods, painted
houses, barns and the interior of the school.
He graduated from Elkader High School in 1942 and attended Elkader Junior College for one year, before
enlisting in the Army in April of 1943. He was a member of the 293rd Joint Assault Signal Corps during
WWII, attaining the rank of sergeant. He was stationed in England from January 1944 until D-Day, when
he landed on Omaha Beach, calling in targets for ship-to-shore bombardment. After D-Day, he was
stationed in France for a few months until he was sent to the Pacific Theater, where he participated in
invasions of the Philippines.
After serving in the military, Orlan returned to Elkader Junior College and then attended Upper Iowa
University, graduating in 1949 with a degree in Business Administration and with a teaching certificate
for most high school and junior high subjects. He did his practice teaching at West Union, and then taught
there for one more year, before he became a route salesman, selling feed for Moorman Manufacturing
Company.
On September 4, 1948, he married Beverly Larson at The Little Brown Church at Nashua Three children
were born to this union; Randa, Jolm and James.
In 1951, Orlan bought his father's farm in Pony Hollow. Although he always lived in town, he went to his
farm every day to tend the livestock and crops and loved spending time there. During that same time, he
became a rural mail carrier for the US Postal Service and held that job for almost 40 years.
He built a bouse on Oak Avenue in 1961, next to his parents' home. Orlan and Beverly raised their family
there and lived in that house for 56 years. With his help, all three of their children built their own homes
on that same street, so he was able to watch his grandchildren as they grew up ... telling lots of stories and
making even more memories.
He was preceded in death by his parents; two brothers, Harold and Harlan; five half-sisters, Florence,
Marie, Dorothy, Bertha and Louise; and daughter-in-Jaw, Jane Reimer.
He is survived by his wife, Beverly; daughter, Randa (Jack) Niewoelmer and sons, John Reimer and
James (Jeanice) Reimer, all of Elkader; grandchildren, Adam Niewoehner, Kari (Colton) Whittle, Ryan
(Chelsi) Reimer, Christopher (Jamie) Reimer, Nicholas (Dusti) Reimer, Andrea (Gabe) Zittergruen, Sara
(Corey) Koelm and Ashley Reimer; great-grandchildren, Atticus Whittle, Lexi Reimer, Henry, George
and Louis Reimer, Wesley, Bo and Gus Reimer, Vaughn, Tyee and Cade Zittergruen and Griffm, Mason
and Dylan Koehn.
In accordance with Orlan's wishes, there will be no visitation or funeral. Private graveside services will be
held at the Eastside Cemetery at a later date.
