NORMAN EUGENE NEEDS, 47 of rural Cherokee, Iowa, passed away Sunday morning, June 26, 2016 due to injuries received in a bicycle accident.

Visitation will be held on Thursday, June 30th, from 3 p.m. until 8 p.m. at the Boothby Funeral Home in Cherokee, Iowa with the family present from 6 p.m. until 8 p.m. with a prayer service and time of sharing memories at 8 p.m. at the funeral home Online condolences can be left at www.boothbyfuneral.com

Norman was born on August 12, 1968 at Red Oak, Iowa to Donald & Lorena (Miles) Needs. He attended schools in Stanton, Nishna Valley, Klemme, Storm Lake and and graduated from Willow Community School in 1988. He attended Northwest Missouri State University. Norman had worked at IBP in Storm Lake for 20 years, worked construction, drove truck, and was currently employed at Wells Blue Bunny in LeMars, Iowa. He was affiliated with the Catholic Church. He was a member of the N.R.A., Ducks Unlimited, and Pheasants Forever. Norman enjoyed fishing, hunting deer, duck, goose, turkey, and elk; mushroom hunting; was an avid Iowa State Cyclone fan and loved riding his bicycle on RAGBRAI.

He was preceded in death by his mother Lorena Needs and a sister Teresa Lorena (Mercer) Pickavel.

He is survived by his son: Leandro Giovanni Marin Needs of Storm Lake, Iowa; a daughter Josephine; his father and step-mother: Donald and Jean Needs of Quimby, Iowa; his siblings: Don (Kit) Mercer of Cadillac, Michigan; Regina (Howard) Bergmen of Elkhorn, Nebraska; Alicia (Paul) McGraw of Marshalltown, Iowa; Phillip (Armi) Mercer of Los Angeles, California; Rebecca Mercer of Santa Barbara, California; LaDonna (Berl) Wilcox of Fort Madison, Iowa; Darwin (Lori) Needs of LeMars, Iowa; Robin (Rick) Steffen of Rifle, Colorado; Cynthia Larson of Alta, Iowa; three step-brothers: David Gehrke of Spirit Lake, Iowa; Randy Gehrke of Des Moines, Iowa; Tim (Lynora) Gehrke of Larrabee, Iowa; also numerous aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, cousins, and many friends.