Maurice "Moe" V. Hamling

Maurice Hamling, 82, passed away peacefully on December 31, 2024, at his home. He was born on September 11, 1942, to Theodore and Agnes Hamling in Breckenridge, Minnesota.

Maurice grew up on a farm near the town of Hankinson in the far southeastern corner of North Dakota. He attended school in a one room school house until he left to attend the University of Minnesota West Central School of Agriculture in Morris, Minnesota. He spent the weekdays at school and the weekends at home helping out on the farm.

He married Phyllis A. Lewno from Corona, South Dakota and they married in Milbank, South Dakota on September 13, 1965. They lived in Des Moines, and then Altoona where they raised a family with four daughters: Julie, Debbie, Jennifer & Denise. Years later, he got to see and know all of his five grandchildren and one great-grandchild.

After Maurice and Phyllis divorced, he found love again with Glenna Joanne Montgomery and they were married from 1994 until her death in 2012. Two years later, Maurice had his happiness matched with Bonnie Lou (Morlan) Neiderheiser and they married in 2014. He loved whomever he was married to with all of his heart. He made sure they were always looked after and taken care of in the best way he knew how.

Maurice enjoyed any work he could do with his hands. Although he would have loved to continue farming his whole life, instead he developed other skills like widening roads such as McKinley and Fleur Drive. Soon after, he discovered he was quite a talented welder and began his career at Brady Manufacturing near Bondurant, IA. He ventured out and began working for John Deere where he excelled as a metal worker and was even recognized for his exceptional welding skills. Later on, he also worked with the automation of many jobs in the tool and die department at John Deere. He loved working for this company from which he retired after 34 years. During his work life he used his leadership skills as a Chief Union Steward to negotiate two UAW contracts.

In his spare time, Maurice enjoyed building all things – garages, home additions, rabbit hutches, and was even involved in the building of Saints John & Paul Catholic Church on 1st Avenue in Altoona. He was quite a carpenter as he and a group of neighbors built nearly a dozen garages in the 1970’s. He also built additions to both his garage and his home to accommodate more room for his other interests, which included fishing and hunting, sausage making, wine making, cooking, vegetable canning, woodworking, and gardening of both food and flowers.

He also loved all things of the Catholic Church. He served on the parish council for both St. Joseph’s in Des Moines and was the president of Southeast Polk Catholic Community before Saints John & Paul Church was formed in Altoona. Maurice was selected by his peers to attend the John F. Kennedy Leadership Conference in Illinois near Chicago. He served as a lector and eucharistic minister and was also an active member of the Knights of Columbus.

Those that knew Maurice knew he lived his life to the fullest. Every moment of every day was filled with projects he was interested in. If he wasn’t saving seeds from a mango or a cherry, he was planting tomato plants along his driveway, or hostas, lilies, roses, and hibiscus plants in his front yard. He was often seen designing new layouts for the backyard or monitoring the progress of his wine. He also could fix anything - from a kitchen stove to an engine carburetor to a leaky water filtration system. Most of all he thoroughly enjoyed telling tall tales and playing practical jokes.

Maurice is survived by his wife, Bonnie; his daughters, Julie Turner (Jim), Deborah van Latenstein, Jennifer Davis, and Denise Hamling. Maurice is also survived by his brother, Eugene Hamling (Helen) and sister Alice Mastrud. Grandchildren include Dallas Cross, Chenoa Shaw, Reno and Denver Davis, Levi van Latenstein, and great-grandson, Archie Davis.

Maurice was preceded in death by his parents, Theodore and Agnes (Herding) Hamling and wife, Glenna “Joanne” (Montgomery) Hamling.

Family will be greeting friends from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m. on Sunday, January 5, 2025, at Saints John & Paul Catholic church located at 1401 1st Avenue in Altoona, Iowa. Funeral service will take place at 10:30 a.m. on Monday, January 6, 2025, also at Saints John & Paul Catholic church in Altoona, Iowa. There will be a livestream offered the day of the service through the link below.

Condolences may be expressed online at www.Hamiltonsfuneralhome.com.

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