Ed Brands

A funeral service for Ed Brands, age 46, of Spirit Lake, will be held Wednesday, November 12, 2014 at 10:30am at Good News Community Church in Okoboji. Burial will be at Okoboji Cemetery. Visitation will be on Tuesday, November 11th after 5:00pm with the family present from 5:00-7:30pm at Good News Community Church. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be left to the discretion of the family. Edward John Brands, the son of Melvin and Alyce (Hoogland) Brands, was born on December 26, 1967 in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. He spent most of his youth in Boyden and graduated from Boyden-Hull High School in 1986. After graduation, he went to work for K & O Manufacturing in Hull, Iowa. He married Bethany Verhoef on December 19, 1992 in Sanborn, Iowa. He and Bethany lived in Coralville, Iowa for 1 1/2 years, then moved to Sanborn, Iowa where they spent a year before moving to their present home in Spirit Lake, Iowa. Ed worked at Den Hartog Industries for two years and then began working at Ferguson Manufacturing in Spirit Lake in June of 1996 where he continued to work for over eighteen years. Ed was a founding member of Good News Community Church in Okoboji, Iowa and joined the founding group in November 1996, "before the beginning". He enjoyed serving as a greeter. Ed was an avid fan of country music and college football, especially the Oklahoma Sooners football team. He loved to laugh, make others laugh and was a frequent prankster. He was especially fond of David Letterman and his "Top 10 Lists". He also enjoyed the comedy of Homer Simpson, Red Green and The Far Side and would often post one-liners in random places. He loved to ride motorcycle and bicycle and enjoyed participating in RAGBRAI. He enjoyed the great outdoors and found peace at a quiet spot overlooking Center Lake. Above all, he loved his wife, his son and his daughter. His happiest moments included attending his children's events. He arranged his schedule around their activities so he couldn't miss out on anything. He and Brianna attended every Daddy-Daughter Dance put on by Cherish Center, it was the highlight of the year for both of them. He and Brevin could often be found sitting side by side watching football, basketball and wrestling. He often volunteered along the sidelines at Brevin's football games and his new favorite volunteer position was running the time clock from the press box, where he had "the best seat in the house". His life was simple, yet full, and he will be deeply missed by his family and friends. Ed passed away on Friday, November 7, 2014 at the age of forty-six years, ten months, and ten days. The family was able to honor Ed's prior request to be an organ and tissue donor and his spirit will live on through the lives of many he was able to help. Left to cherish Ed's memory are his wife, Bethany, his son, Brevin and his daughter, Brianna; father, Melvin Brands of Sheldon, sister Joleen Baumgarn and her husband, Randy of Sanborn, Iowa; sister, Emily Hanno and her husband, Jim of Sheldon, Iowa; two nephews, Michael Brands and his wife, Brenda of Sioux City, Iowa and Shannon Minton of Granville, Iowa; four nieces, Monica Murray and her husband, Cory of Rockford, Iowa, Stephanie Wolf and her husband, Sean of Sheldon, Iowa, Michelle Minton of Sanborn, Iowa and Meredith Carter and her husband, Adam of Hospers, Iowa; mother-in-law, Thelma Verhoef of Sheldon, Iowa; sister-in-law, Amy Haken and her husband Mark and their children, Joshua, Matthew and Lindsey of Little Rock, Iowa; brother-in-law Michael Verhoef and his wife, Kristie and their chldren, Todd and Ashley of Sanborn, Iowa; eight great-nieces and nephews; many other relatives and friends. He was preceded in death by his mother, Alyce, sister, Kristin Minton and his father-in-law, Clarence Verhoef.