Levi & Barb Pence - funeral director

Levi Pence and his family came to Newton in 1982. He purchased the Wallace Funeral Home in 1984. Before moving to Newton, Levi had worked for Brouhard Funeral Home in Zearing, Iowa and ran a painting and construction business.

Levi, a Hardin County, Iowa native, graduated from the American Institute of Business in Des Moines, Iowa. He married Barbara Groeneveld in 1969. Levi served in the United States Army in Viet Nam with the 101st Airborne Division. Upon his return, he continued his education at Des Moines Area Community College and the Indiana College of Mortuary Science. He worked for Grandview Funeral Home in Des Moines before his serving in Zearing.

Levi has always enjoyed carpentry and remodeling projects. Barb enjoys horticulture and taking care of the grandchildren. Barb has been a member of the Skiff Medical Center Auxiliary and Newton After Five Club. Levi has been Past President of Newton Morning Kiwanis, Past Chairman of Hospice of Jasper County, Past President of Newton Christian School Board, and Past President of Newton Chamber of Commerce.

Levi has dedicated his efforts to care for and raise his family with love, compassion, concern, and caring. He and his family have transferred these same efforts to caring for the families they serve.

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Jeff & Debby Pence – funeral director & secretary

Jeff Pence, son of Levi Pence, has lived in Newton since 1982, and has been with the funeral home for 8 years. He and his wife Debby, an east coast native, met at Cedarville College, where they sang on a traveling singing team. Both Jeff and Debby graduated from Cedarville College, Cedarville Ohio, in 1992, and Jeff graduated from Worsham’s Mortuary College in 1994.

Jeff is very involved in the community. He has served on the Newton Christian School Board, Newton Noon Kiwanis Club as President, American Cancer Society – Jasper County Unit Board Member, Newton United Way, Immanuel Baptist Church Trustee, and is a Hospice of Jasper County Board Member. In his spare time Jeff enjoys singing, basketball, yard work and the outdoors with their daughter Leslie.

Before serving at the funeral home, Debby taught Music for grades Kindergarten through 8th Grade at Newton Christian School. Debby stays very busy with their daughter Leslie, her piano students, teaching scrap booking classes, as well as many activities in the community. She is the President of the Skiff Medical Center Auxiliary Board, a member on the TLC Board and on the Education Committee at Newton Christian School, she volunteers at Willowbrook Adult Day Care Center, and is very active in her church by leading the Cubbies group, teaching Sunday School and leading various choirs.

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Harold & Marilyn Reese – funeral director & secretary

Harold and Marilyn Reese have lived in Newton for 27 years. Harold’s start to funeral service is an interesting one. His father was a pilot and was killed in a crash in 1946. The funeral home that had his service offered Harold a job when he was 16 years old. Harold used to get out of school to assist on funerals and go on ambulance calls. Since that time he has done nothing else other than funeral service. Prior to serving in the Air Force during Korean Conflict, Harold worked at Brintlingers Funeral Home in Decatur, Illinois. Following the war he worked at the Galbreath Funeral Home in Centralia, Illinois. Harold represented Northwestern Casket Company in Minneapolis prior to purchasing Sternborg Funeral Home in Estherville, Iowa in 1959. Harold and Marilyn owned Reese Funeral Home in Estherville, Iowa, Armstrong, Swea City, Ringsted and Fenton prior to purchasing Johnson Funeral Home in Newton in 1975. Harold has college degrees from Augustana College in Sioux Falls, South Dakota and Saint Louis College of Mortuary Science in Saint Louis, Missouri.

Harold and Marilyn are very active in the Newton Community. Harold is a member of the First Lutheran Church in Newton. Harold has been involved with the American Legion, Kiwanis International for 43 years, the Masonic Lodge, the Elks Lodge, Izaak Walton League, National Funeral Directors Association, Iowa Funeral Directors Association and the Newton Chamber of Commerce. Marilyn has also served on many boards and is very active in her church. Marilyn has also served on many boards, and is very active in the Sacred Heart Catholic Church. Harold enjoys hunting and fishing. Marilyn has also served on many boards, and is very active in the Sacred Heart Catholic Church.

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Gene J. Groeneveld - funeral director

Gene Groeneveld and his family came to Newton in 1990. Gene grew up in Eldora, Iowa. He received his Associate of Science Degree from Ellsworth Community Junior College in Iowa Falls. He attended Faith Baptist Bible College in Ankeny, Iowa and he graduated from Worsham’s Mortuary College in 1983. Gene, brother-in-law to Levi Pence, had previously worked as a funeral director at Hamilton’s Funeral Home in Des Moines, Iowa and Clinton Memorial Park Funeral Home in Clinton, Iowa. Before becoming a funeral director, Gene had worked in construction, was a police chief, and was an ambulance EMT.

Gene and his wife, Marilyn were married in 1975, in Blue Earth, Minnesota. They have four children; Kari, John, Jeana, and Luke. Gene loves his family and their log home. He enjoys the outdoors, piloting his airplane, boating, water skiing, swimming, and coaching his daughter’s and son’s softball and baseball teams.

Gene is a member of Immanuel Baptist Church where he has served and a Sunday School Teacher, a Trustee and as a Deacon. Gene has been a member of Kiwanis International, the Newton Airfair Board for eight years and the Optimist Club. He is currently a member of Emerson Hough Izaak Walton League, F.F.D.A. – Flying Funeral Directors of America, A.O.P.A. – Aircraft Owners and Operators Association, the Newton Salvation Army Board for eight years, I.F.D.A. – Iowa Funeral Directors Association (serving on the Mortuary Emergency Response Team, the Education Committee and Continuing Education Committee), and N.F.D.A. – National Funeral Directors Association.

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Dora Pence – secretary

Dora and Melvin Pence, the parents of Levi Pence, moved to Newton in 1984. They had lived in an apartment above the funeral home until Melvin’s passing in 1991. Dora has worked for the Pence Funeral Home over the past 18 years.

Dora was born and raised in Grundy Center, Iowa. She lived in the same farmhouse for 65 years prior to moving to Newton. Dora had worked as a nursing assistant for 14 years in Grundy County and had worked several years for Newton Home Care.

Dora has five married sons, ten grandchildren and ten great grandchildren. She enjoys her home as well as gardening and her flowers. Dora is a member of Ivester Church of the Brethren in rural Grundy County and is active in Women’s Christian Temperance Union and Blue Star Mothers Veteran’s Organization.

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W. Andrew Emmert – staff

Andy Emmert was born in Colfax, Iowa in 1914 and moved to Newton in 1928. He has resided here all but 45 months that he spent in the U.S. Army in the South West Pacific Theater. Andy worked for three and a half years for the Des Moines Register and Tribune, was a Service Manager for Dale Schlotfeldt Olds-Cad for 10 years, and was the Owner-Operator of Texaco & Sinclair Service Stations for 25 years before joining the funeral home. He has assisted the funeral home in various capacities since 1977. You may find his smiling face greeting families as they come to the funeral home.

Andy and his wife Carlene have been involved in the community. Andy was an early member of the Newton Development Committee, Newton Chamber of Commerce, American Legion, a lifetime member of the VFW, member of the Masonic Lodge for over 50 years and most constituent orders, serving as Past Master of Masons, High Priest of Gebal Chapter, Illustious Master of Royal & Select Masters, also served as Rt. Eminent Grand Commander of the Knights Templar of the State of Iowa in 1995-1996. Andy has been recognized for outstanding performance as Service Manager in having fulfilled the requirements for membership in the Master Service Managers League. He is also a lifetime member of the First United Methodist Church. He has served on all the church committees and was the head of most of them at some time. Andy was the President of the Untied Methodist Trustee Board for over 13 years and was a church usher for over 45 years.

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Gary Marchant – staff

Gary Marchant and his wife, Barb, are the current residents in the apartment above the funeral home. Gary has worked for the Pence ~ Reese Funeral Home since 1992, where he assists on funerals and helps maintain the funeral home automobiles.

Gary retired from the Maytag Company after 31 years. He has two grown children who are married and five grandchildren. He enjoys collecting 1:43 scale automobiles. Gary is a member of the United Auto Workers Retirees Union, Local #997, the Newton Masonic Lodge #59 and is a past member of the Board of Director’s of Tri-County Credit Union in Newton.