Ron "Rookie" Gene Hardenbrook

Ron “Rookie” Gene Hardenbrook, 65, of Newton died on Thursday, June 2, 2022, at his home. A funeral service will be held at 2:00 p.m. on Tuesday, June 7, 2022, at the Wallace Family Funeral Home and Crematory. The family will greet friends from 1:00 p.m. until the time of the service. Memorials in Ron’s name (checks made payable to Beth Hardenbrook) may be left at the funeral home.

Ron, the son of Lester “Hap” and Julia Johanna “Ann” (Birkenholtz) Hardenbrook, was born on August 20, 1956, in Newton. A lifelong resident of Newton, Ron graduated from Newton High School in 1974. He went on to work in several different roles at Maytag, eventually retiring from Red Carpet. After his time at Maytag, Ron went on to work at MG Laundry. On August 2, 1980, Ron was united in marriage with Beth Meyer at the Wittemberg Church in Newton. Rookie was full of life and found joy in many activities. He loved being outdoors, especially when he was hunting or fishing. As much as Ron loved the outdoors, however, he also loved his man cave, where he would play computer games throughout the night and enjoy shows like Family Feud and Deal or No Deal. Ron enjoyed sports, including NASCAR date nights with Beth, and he even enjoyed working on cars in his shop. Most of all, Rookie loved companionship in both dogs and people. He was always happy to share a beer with his friends and his son.

Ron is survived by his wife, Beth Hardenbrook of Newton; children, Ashley Hardenbrook of Newton and Tyler (Amanda) Hardenbrook of Grimes; and his beloved Australian Sheperd, his “perfect baby girl” Cora. He was preceded in death by his parents; his 33-day-old infant daughter Lindsey Beth in 1986; several aunts and uncles; and his grandparents.

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