In Memory of Jeff Rasmussen

Jeff Rasmussen, age 66, of Ida Grove, Iowa, passed away on Monday, February 3, 2025, at the University of Nebraska Medical Center of Omaha, Nebraska.

A Memorial Service will be held at 10:30 a.m., Thursday, February 13, 2025, at the St. Paul Lutheran Church of Ida Grove, Iowa. Rev. Neil Wehmas will officiate. Private Family Inurnment will be held in the Ida Grove Cemetery of Ida Grove, Iowa.

A Visitation will be held from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m., Wednesday, February 12, 2025, at the St. Paul Lutheran Church of Ida Grove, Iowa.

The Christensen-Van Houten Funeral Home of Ida Grove, Iowa, is in charge of the funeral arrangements.  Condolences may be sent online at www.christensenvanhouten.com

Jeff Rasmussen was born on October 18, 1958, in Ida Grove, Iowa, one of three sons born to Orrin and Carole (James) Rasmussen. He grew up outside of Arthur, Iowa and received his education in the Odebolt-Arthur Community School District. In 1984 Jeff met Donna Aschinger and they were married December 5, 1987. They were blessed with two children, Erin and Parker. 

Jeff never shied away from hard work. As a teenager, he began working at the local Arthur Elevator then, being mechanically inclined, Jeff attended GM school when he was employed as a mechanic with Bickley Motors in Ida Grove. In 1978, Jeff started his 47-year career with GOMACO in Ida Grove. He started out as a Service Engineer, then was promoted to District Manager of the northeast. Jeff presented an idea for a sister company refurbishing used GOMACO equipment and in 1999 Godbersen Equipment Company was born. Jeff was the manager and   oversaw the daily business until his illness and death.

In the early 2000’s, in his spare time, Jeff enjoyed drag racing. He and his team traveled all over the U.S. with their mustang and brought home some wins, some records and awards, as well as the NMRA Ford Racing Championship in 2006. Jeff also liked maintaining his yard and if you were lucky enough to be in his neighborhood, your yard would be freshly edged in the summer and without a leaf in sight in the fall. At the end of the day, he loved to relax and spend time with his family and his four-legged friends Pilsner and Tucker. 

Passionate about sports and his local community, Jeff currently served as the President of the OABCIG School Board. He was proud of the improvements made to the local elementary and high school, along with the successful consolidation of BCIG and Odebolt-Arthur. On a hot summers’ day, if you were looking for Jeff you would most likely find him at the OABCIG High School baseball field. Since 2010, Jeff served as an assistant coach and proudly maintained the turf, fencing, and dugouts. His dedication to the sport allowed for installation of the pitching mound, new score boards, batters eye, batting cages, and facilitated the planting of trees behind the field. He was always ready to go the extra mile to fundraise or solicit funds for improvements for the school. If you have ever attended an OABCIG sporting event and smelled the fresh popcorn, that was thanks to Jeff showing up early to make sure everything was just right in the concession stand. He was told many times that he made the best popcorn in the conference! Jeff was always ready to lend a hand to make sure things were running smoothly.  He and Donna were “super fans” and have attended almost all of the Falcon football and basketball games for the past 20 years. 

Most summer weekends Jeff and Donna tried to make time for riding their Harley and planned rides to visit all of the Freedom Rocks in Iowa, and saw all but two in other states. They always reserved time after baseball season to take a few days and ride to places like Noah’s Ark in Kentucky, the “crooked and steep” roads of Arkansas, or to visit friends in Indiana or Texas. 

Jeff was preceded in death by his parents Orrin and Carole Rasmussen; and brother Ronnie Rasmussen. 

He leaves behind his devoted wife of 37 years, Donna Rasmussen of Ida Grove; children Erin Rasmussen of Omaha, NE and Parker Rasmussen of Ida Grove; brother Marty (Pamela) Rasmussen of Onawa, IA; many aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, extended family and friends.