John Havens

John Benjamin Havens passed away at his home in Des Moines on July 7, 2025. Funeral services for John will be held at 11:00 AM, Saturday, July 12, 2025, at Holy Cross Lutheran Church in Carlisle. A visitation will be held from 6-8:00 PM, Friday, July 11, 2025, also at Holy Cross Lutheran Church. Interment will follow services in the Middle River Cemetery in Carlisle followed by lunch at Holy Cross Lutheran Church.

John, the eldest of seven children, was born on October 16, 1941, in Independence, Missouri to Ted and Louisa (Hansen) Havens. His family moved to central Iowa when he was still very young where they engaged in the farming industry. At age 14, he and his family bought their own farm just southeast of Carlisle where he lettered in football and track at Carlisle High School.

He met his beloved wife of 63 years, Shirley (Thorton) when he was a boarder in her sister’s house in 1960, and they married in 1962. In the ensuing 45 years, he worked at Merideth Printing/Donnelly Publishing in Des Moines where he and Shirley had raised a daughter and three sons.

John is survived by his wife Shirley, his daughter Laurie (Bill) McGarry of Knoxville, his sons John, Daniel, and Patrick (Kathy) Havens of Des Moines as well as sisters, Emma, Mary, Dorothy, and brothers Otto and Alan in addition to a great multitude of grand-children and great grand-children; all of whom he took great pleasure doting on.

He is preceded in death by his mother, father, and a sister Alberta.