HERBERT E. KRACHT, 88, of Peterson, Iowa, passed away August 9, 2015 in the Sunset Knoll Care & Rehab Center in Aurelia, Iowa.

Funeral services will be held on Thursday, August 13, at 10:30 a.m. at St. John's Church, rural Peterson, Iowa. Pastor Don Andrews and Mr. David Orthmann will officiate Burial will be in St. John's Church Cemetery. There will be military rites at the graveside. There will be a family prayer service at 10 a.m. at the Church on Thursday. Visitation will be from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. on Wednesday at the Boothby Funeral Home in Cherokee. Visitation will continue on Wednesday at the St. John's Church, rural Peterson, Iowa from 4 p.m. until 7 p.m. with the family present at that time. Online condolences can be left at www.boothbyfuneral.com

Herb was born on January 10, 1927 in Brooke Township, Buena Vista County, Iowa to George & Lulu (Tigges) Kracht. He was baptized and confirmed from the St. John's Church. He graduated from Brooke Consolidated School in 1945. He entered the U.S. Army that fall and was discharged in November of 1946. After returning from WW II, he helped his family on the farm.

On September 25, 1955, he was married to Iva May Cole at the Methodist Church in Storm Lake, Iowa. They farmed on farms south of Peterson. To this union three children were born, James Dean, Rebecca Sue and David Ray.

Herb was a member of the Farm Bureau, where he was on the board for many years. He and Iva May went to many American Farm Bureau Conventions and saw many areas of the United States including the Hawaiian Islands. He had been a member of the Cattleman's Association and a member of the Dean Underwood American Legion Post #10 for over 60 years. He held many different offices in the Legion, and was on the firing squad for more than 50 years. He was a longtime member of the St. John's Church and had held numerous offices on the church board.

In December of 1997, they moved into Peterson and since that time Herb kept busy mowing lawns and blowing snow for many people. He also helped a farmer putting in the crops in the spring and harvesting in the fall, which he really enjoyed doing. He also helped with the garden and his roses. Herb's greatest joy was farming and his family.

In 2011, Herb and Iva May traveled to the Virgin Islands to attend a grandson's wedding and "what a good time we had."

He was preceded in death by his parents, a granddaughter Carissa Kracht, a step grand-son Jamie Peters, an infant brother, 4 sisters and brothers-in-law: Marjorie & Ed Murphy, Janet & Don Bob Hoover, Arlene & Ralph Brown, Erma & Calvin Christensen; two brothers and sister-in-law Ronald Kracht, Robert & Ida "Bunny" Kracht; four brothers-in-law: Bruce Saunders, Jim Reed, Norman Drey and Jerry Wright.

He is survived by his wife of 59 years Iva May; three children: James (Sandy) Kracht of Storm Lake, Iowa; Becky (David) Brighton of Ft. Dodge, Iowa; David (Toni) Kracht of Peterson, Iowa; six grandchildren and eight great grandchildren: Justin (Heather) Kracht of Lake Park, Iowa and their children Caleb, Ashton and Taylor; Candi (Lynn) Meyer of Webb, Iowa and their son Oliver; Jayden Kracht and his fiancé Becky Moore of Webb, Iowa and his daughter Kirstyn; Sierra Kracht of Storm Lake, Iowa and her son Isaac; Kolin (Nicole) Brighton of Cedar Rapids, Iowa and their twin sons George and Miles; Katie Brighton and her fiancé Eric Legue of Marion, Iowa; two sisters: Jean Saunders of Peterson, Iowa and Luella Reed of Spencer, Iowa; a sister-in-law Ruth Wright of Storm Lake, Iowa; also many nieces, nephews and cousins.