Sydney R. Winquist

Syd was born June 15, 1958, to Virgil and Shirley Winquist at Crawford County Memorial Hospital in Denison, Iowa. He was baptized at Zion Lutheran Church in Denison and confirmed in the Lutheran faith at Immanuel Lutheran Church in Schleswig. Syd passed away April 3, 2019, at the age of 60 while under hospice care at Eventide in Denison, Iowa.
Graduating from Schleswig Community High School in 1976, he was a stand-out football player and wrestler and also played the trombone in the high school band. He attended Northwest Missouri State University in Maryville, Missouri where he earned a Bachelor's Degree in Agricultural Education. Syd created many wonderful memories with his brothers of the Delta Sigma Phi fraternity that have bonded them to this day.
Syd was united in marriage to Beth Leistad Hansen on September 1, 1984, and lovingly welcomed her three beautiful daughters, Tara, Erica & Mori Beth, raising and loving them as his own.
Syd used his agricultural knowledge in a variety of careers: he taught Ag Education and sponsored the Future Farmers of America at Dex-field and Ida Grove High Schools. He coached football and wrestling at Ida Grove and Schleswig High Schools. Over the years, he was a Crows and Fontanelle Seed Dealer, a salesman for FAC and partner in Feeder's Supply Purina both in Schleswig, a Farm Manager for Kluver Farms, and also farmed with his brother on the family farms for 12 years.
Syd served the community as mayor of Schleswig for a number of years until resigning for health reasons. It was his pleasure to share the history of his hometown with the younger generation. He was very active volunteering with and participating in the Schleswig Community Club and the Izaak Walton League. One of his loves was camping at "Ikes," spending time with friends, raising pheasants there and gathering around the campfire with his many friends. He truly enjoyed watching kids at "The Ikes" playing and fishing, and often instigated antics such as mud fights. He liked seeing kids enjoying the outdoors just like on the Andy Griffith Show, with NO video games or cell phones - just like the "old days" he'd say. You could often find Syd watching his favorite shows of yesteryear - Bonanza, Gunsmoke, and the Three Stooges. He enjoyed the simple things in life.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Shirley and Virgil, and his grandparents, Alvin and Frieda, and William and Sophia. Those left to cherish memories of his dry humor and acts of kindness are his wife Beth; daughters Tara, Erica (Robbie), and Mori Beth; brother, Stan (Angie); and sister, Lynell (Bahram). He is also survived by his mother- and father-in-law, Judy and Ron; sister-in-law, Joni (Jerome); brother-in-law Reed (Janelle); grandchildren, Claire, Ryker and Archer. He is also survived by a host of nieces, nephews, aunts, uncles, and cousins.
As Syd would say, "That's it!"