John “Jack” Cronin, age 67, of Sergeant Bluff, formerly of Holstein, passed away on Tuesday, December 6, 2016 at the Sunrise Retirement Community of Sioux City. A Funeral Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Saturday, December 10, 2016 at 1:00 PM at the Our Lady of Good Counsel Catholic Church of Holstein with the Fr. Michael Cronin officiating. Burial will be at the Calvary Cemetery of Holstein with military rites conducted by the American Legion Dessel-Schmidt Post #225 of Holstein. A visitation will be held on Friday, December 9, 2016 from 4:00 PM – 7:00 PM with a Rosary held at 4:00 PM and a Vigil Service held at 7:00 PM at the church.
John “Jack” Francis Cronin was born on April 24th, 1949 to Lloyd and Germaine (Krogman) Cronin in Marcus, Iowa. Jack graduated from Holstein High School in 1967. After graduation, he attended Iowa Central community college in Fort Dodge, Iowa. In 1970 he entered the United States Army and served for two years. Jack went back to college and received a B.S. degree from Mankato State University in May of 1975. He came back home to work with his dad on the family farm until 1976.
Jack worked for many years in the agriculture field. He started as a Livestock Production Specialist for Land O’ Lakes at Pomeroy-Knoke Coop Elevator, then worked for the Holstein Co-op Elevator, was branch manager in Cherokee for the Cleghorn-Cherokee Elevator, was the general manager for Pomeroy Coop, Farmers Coop of Thornton, IA and Sanborn Cooperative, then was the CEO / General Manager of Western Iowa Coop in Hornick, IA. He was President of Land O’Lakes District #14 and a member of the Land O’Lakes Leadership Council, Land O’Lakes Executive Council, Land O’Lakes Policy and Resolution Committee, Cenex/Land O’Lakes Managers Council, Land O’Lakes Feed Advisory Committee, and the Cenex/Land O’ Lakes Agronomy Advisory Committee. Jack was nominated to the Iowa Institute for Cooperatives Hall of Fame in 2010.
Jack was very proud of his children and granddaughter. Family was very important to him. He always played Santa Claus for the Cronin family Christmas. Jack enjoyed traveling and was able to take a trip to Ireland with his dad and siblings to visit Brad while he studied abroad. He also traveled to San Diego for Greg’s Marine Corps graduation. Jack loved golfing with his sons and even got a hole-in-one on Father’s Day in 1991! He was a member of the American Legion Dessel-Schmidt Post #225 of Holstein and the American Legion George Nelson Post #662 in Sergeant Bluff. A special memory for Jack was taking his dad (World War II veteran) on the Honor Flight to Washington D.C.
Jack is survived by three sons, Bradley (Angie), Gregory (Michelle), and Steven (Audrey); one granddaughter Brooklyn Cronin; siblings, Jim (Judy) Cronin; Alice (Lyle) Wittrock; Anita (Mike) Radke; Joe (Peg) Cronin; Janet (Steve) Witt; Laura (Tom) Kofmehl; and numerous nephews, nieces, great-nephews, great-nieces.
He was preceded in death by his parents and daughter, Melissa Ann Cronin.
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