Kenneth "Ken" Francis Gebel

Kenneth (Ken) Francis Gebel, age 89, of Elma, IA, peacefully passed away on February 7th, 2026, at the Iowa City Veterans Affairs Medical Center. 

A Memorial Mass will be held at 11:00 a.m. Tuesday, February 17, 2026, at Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in Elma with Rev. Telesphore Dusabe celebrating the Mass. Inurnment will be held at Calvary Cemetery in Elma.

Friends may greet the family from 4:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m., Monday, February 16, 2026, at Hugeback – Johnson Funeral Home & Crematory in Elma, where there will be a 6:00 p.m. scripture service. Visitation continues an hour before the Memorial Mass at the church in Elma on Tuesday.

Hugeback – Johnson Funeral Home & Crematory has been entrusted with arrangements.

Kenneth Francis Gebel was born September 2, 1936, to Walter and Emma (Novy) Gebel in Elma, Iowa. Ken’s early life was spent on a farm in rural Elma. As a boy, Ken attended Immaculate Conception schools, graduating in 1954, and then went to work on his family’s farm. Ken enlisted in the U.S. Army at 20 years old and found himself enjoying his position as a mail carrier on the base from 1956-1958. After his time in the service, he returned to Elma and began farming on his own. During his time farming, Ken also worked at the Oliver Tractor Factory in Charles City. 

He later became employed at The Howard County Equity. It was during his time at the Equity that Ken met the love of his life, Mary Ann Ludwig. The two attended a dance together in Spillville, IA, as their first date. Ken and Mary Ann were later married on June 23, 1962. This union was blessed with two children, Ann Marie and Daniel Joseph.

Ken enjoyed sharing his love of the outdoors with his family, taking them on numerous family vacations, often involving camping and fishing. Ken also had a passion for the game of golf. A proud moment for Ken was achieving a Hole-in-one on hole 7 of the Maple Heights Golf Course on August 8, 2000. Another thing Ken took an abundance of pride in was being a grandpa to his 6 grandchildren and later 10 great-grandchildren. Ken was a man who valued his family, his Catholic faith, a good joke, and being at least fifteen minutes early to any function to get a good parking spot. 

Ken is survived by his wife, Mary Ann Gebel of 63 years of Elma, IA; two children, Ann Hemann of Austin, MN, and Daniel (Shannon) Gebel of Elma, IA; six grandchildren Adam (Staci) Hemann of Austin, MN, Katie Hemann of Austin, MN, Rachel (Joseph) Miller of New Hampton, IA,  Lucas (Suzy) Gebel of Nashua, IA, Alex Trouten (Brittany) of Elma, IA, Andi Gebel of Elma, IA; ten great-grandchildren Taylor, Tori, Jaxon, Brielle, Remy, Leo, Rose, Ace, Sunny and Elsie; one sister-in-law Margaret Gebel of Ankeny, IA; as well as many nieces and nephews; and cherished friends. 

He was preceded in death by his parents, Walter and Emma Gebel, his in-laws Adolph Sr and Loretta (Wacha) Ludwig, his twin brother Cletus Gebel, his brother and sister-in-law Ronald and Judy Gebel, and his brother-in-law Adolph Ludwig Jr.