RANDALL M. "Randy" VOSS, 74, of Cherokee, Iowa, succumbed to the complications of Alzheimer's disease and was called home to be with his Heavenly Father on Wednesday afternoon, March 25, 2015 surrounded by his family.


Funeral services will be held on Monday, March 30th, at 10:30 a.m. at the St. Paul's United Methodist Church in Cherokee. Rev. Magrey deVega will officiate. Burial will be in the Oak Hill Cemetery at Cherokee. There will be a family prayer service at 10:15 a.m. at the church on Monday. Visitation will be on Sunday from 11 a.m. until 7 p.m. with the family present from 4 p.m. until 7 p.m. at the Boothby Funeral Home in Cherokee, Iowa. Online condolences can be left at www.boothbyfuneral.com. In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorials to be made to the St. Paul's United Methodist Church and the Alzheimer's Research Foundation.

Randy was born December 3, 1940 in Carroll, IA to Merlin and Hazel (Pollock) Voss. In his early years, he helped his parents on the family farm near Denison, IA. He started at country school and later attended elementary school at Zion Lutheran Church in Denison. The family then moved to Ida Grove, IA, where Randy completed his education and graduated from Ida Grove High School in 1959.

During and after high school he worked in the meat department for the Council Oak Grocery chain. He eventually became the meat department manager of the Council Oak stores in Sac City, Spencer, and Cherokee. In 1963 he married Patricia Iwen in Holstein, IA, and from this union three children were born; Brion, Brett, and Trisha.

In 1965, he became employed by Wilson Packing Company in Cherokee, progressively working his way to Maintenance Supervisor of the wiener room. He retired in 2003 after 37 years of service. At that point, finding himself unable to just sit around and to keep busy, he worked a few years for Brown Chevrolet in Cherokee.

In 1982, he was united in marriage with Carole (Niehus) Torrence in Cherokee. Together, they have one daughter, Jennifer.

Randy was a dedicated and loving husband, father, grandfather and brother. He very much enjoyed attending family and school events and would often remark on how proud he was of all his children and grandchildren. He was a lifelong avid car enthusiast and built several street rods. He was a fan of stock car racing and participated in sanctioned drag racing in his early years, and took it up again in retirement. He was a founding member of the Cabrolet Car Club of Cherokee, and helped with the Jaycees in the running of the local soapbox derby. He annually attended races in several different states with his sons, brothers, and friends. He also restored and rebuilt pedal cars, Cushman motor scooters, and riding lawn mowers. He was interested in anything with an engine and always tried to make them faster, louder and "his way". He was a talented "tinkerer" and could fix or modify almost anything.

He was a member of and regularly attended St. Paul's United Methodist Church in Cherokee.

He was preceded in death by his parents.

Left to mourn his passing and cherish his memory are his wife Carole of Cherokee, son Brion (Paula) Voss and their daughters, Elle and Kinsey of Cherokee, son Brett Voss of Cherokee, daughter Trisha (Mike) Whitley and their daughters Madison and McKenna of Atlanta, GA, daughter Jennifer Voss of Minneapolis, MN, and stepchildren Kelly (Chris) Burns, and their daughter Kamdyn of Spring Lake, MI and Mark (April) Torrence of Spirit Lake, IA. He is also survived by brothers Terry of Omaha, NE, Bill of Onawa, IA and sister Jane of Minneapolis, MN; brother-in-law Ronald Niehus of Remsen, IA and sister-in-law Esther Schmitz of Carroll, IA, as well as nieces, nephews, and many lifelong friends.