A Celebration of Life Service to honor the life and legacy of Terry Crouch, age 69, of Lakefield, will be held Friday, October 23, 2026, at 5:00 PM at Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Lakefield, with a time of visitation and gathering from 3 – 5 PM.

A second Celebration of Life Service to honor the life and legacy of Terry Crouch, age 69, of Lakefield, will be held Saturday, October 24, 2026, at 1:00 PM at United Methodist Church in Pilot Mound, IA, with a time of visitation and gathering from 11:00 AM – 1:00 PM. Burial will be in Lawn Cemetery in Boxholm, Iowa.

Terry passed away peacefully with his wife by his side on Monday, October 12, 2026, at Sunset Hospice Cottage in Worthington.

In lieu of flowers and gifts, memorial donations in memory of Terry are preferred. All donations will be divided equally among his six grandchildren.

Terry Crouch, a beloved husband, father, grandfather, brother, son, uncle, friend, mechanic, storyteller, prankster, and all-around character, lived a life filled with adventure, laughter, hard work, family, and more than a little bit of trouble along the way.

Terry was born in Boone, Iowa, to Bill and Doris Crouch. His family later moved to Boxholm, Iowa, where Terry grew up and graduated from Grand Community School. The school was conveniently located directly across the street from his childhood home. It was an especially memorable place for Terry because his mom, Doris, worked there as the superintendent’s secretary.

Terry was not exactly the model academic student and had his fair share of trouble during his school years. In fact, Terry always joked that his mom usually knew he was in trouble before he did. His parents eventually considered sending him to the Air Force Academy in Colorado—partly because they thought it might keep him out of trouble.

Growing up, Terry spent countless hours at his dad’s business, Crouch’s convenience stores. Back in the day, convenience stores meant full-service gas stations, where attendants pumped gas and cleaned windshields. Terry became exceptionally good at cleaning windshields and never lost his appreciation for doing things the right way.

His dad, Bill, and his Uncle Deck also taught Terry the mechanical skills that would become such an important part of his life. Terry developed an incredible knowledge of automobiles and machinery. If something had an engine, gears, wires, or moving parts, Terry wanted to understand how it worked—and more importantly, he wanted to know how to fix it.

One of Terry’s favorite high school stories involved a town police officer and a little teenage creativity. Terry and a group of boys jacked the police car up on concrete blocks under the axles so the tires were just barely off the ground. Then, they pulled up in front of the officer’s house and did a burnout. The officer came running outside, ready to chase them down, only to discover that his police car wasn’t going anywhere.

Of course, the officer blamed the wrong person.

He blamed Jim Hanson.

That story, like so many of Terry’s stories, was always better when Terry told it himself.

Some of Terry’s fondest childhood memories involved his best friend, Scott, and building model cars together in the basement of the Crouch home. Terry also spent plenty of time with older guys who worked at his dad’s gas station. Those relationships gave Terry an appreciation for people of all ages and helped shape the mechanical knowledge and life experiences he carried with him.

After high school, Terry spent a short time working for Sandler, building homes in Boone. He decided after six to eight months that he still wasn’t quite sure what he wanted to do with his life.

He then attended Lincoln Technical Institute in West Des Moines, studying automotive and mechanical technology. Although he did not complete every class, he gained valuable knowledge that would serve him throughout his life. He later returned home and worked with his Uncle Deck for a time.

Terry continued his education at Ellsworth Community College in Iowa Falls in the petroleum marketing program. He didn’t graduate from there either—mostly because Terry believed college should include having a little too much fun. It was there that he met his good friend Brad, who would remain an important part of his life.

Eventually, Terry returned to Boxholm and worked with his dad at the family gas station until the economy forced Bill to make the difficult decision to let him go. Terry then moved to Des Moines, where he worked for a company that owned Phillips 66 locations before becoming a fuel manager at a truck stop.

Eventually, Terry returned once again to Boxholm and took over the family business, Crouch Oil Company and Bill’s Store and More. His brother Robin joined him in the business, and together they changed the name to The Boys Store and More—a name inspired by the way their dad had always referred to the business as “the boys’ store and more.”

Then came one of the most important turns in Terry’s life.

He came to Northwest Iowa for a wedding—and never moved back.

Terry worked with Brad, roofing for a summer before beginning his career at Rosenboom. He became one of the original employees of the Spirit Lake company and eventually became a vital part of its maintenance program.

Everything Terry had learned from his dad, Uncle Deck, automotive school, college, and years of working on anything mechanical came together at Rosenboom. His unofficial specialty was playing fireman for the CNC machines, keeping them running and responding whenever something went wrong. But Terry didn’t limit himself to one type of machine. He worked on nearly everything in the building.

Terry had an amazing mechanical mind. He could look at a machine, listen to it, take it apart, study the problem, and somehow figure out how to make it work again. He genuinely loved mechanical things and was happiest when he was fixing, building, tinkering, or figuring out how something worked.

But despite all of the machines, automobiles, jobs, adventures, and accomplishments throughout his life, Terry would tell you that his favorite memory was moving to Northwest Iowa and meeting Randine.

Randine became the love of his life and his bride. Together they built a life filled with family, laughter, vacations, sporting events, road trips, and countless memories.

Terry was immensely proud of his children.

He was especially proud of his daughter, Melissa, and the woman she became. He celebrated her graduation from college and her accomplishment of fulfilling her dream of becoming a nurse. Terry loved watching Melissa care for others, and he especially enjoyed watching her become a mother.

Melissa blessed Terry with four amazing grandchildren. Having Melissa and her family live nearby was a tremendous gift. Terry loved attending his grandchildren’s sporting events, academic accomplishments, community activities, and all the ordinary moments that became extraordinary memories simply because he was there.

Terry was equally proud of his son, Garrett, who followed in his father’s footsteps and developed his own love for working on machines.

Terry always believed great minds think alike.

He adored Garrett and Katlyn’s two miracle boys. Those boys were especially precious to him because they would carry on the Crouch name—and Terry hoped they would also carry on the Crouch love of machines, fixing things, and figuring out how the world works.

Terry treasured his six grandchildren: Dalton, Makynlee, Oliver, Aynslee, Wesley, and Easton. He loved spending time with them and creating memories that would last far beyond his lifetime.

One of Terry’s greatest gifts to his family was his love of making memories. He was fortunate enough to take his children and grandchildren on getaways and long vacations, filling their lives with stories, laughter, adventures, and experiences they will carry with them forever.

Another very special part of Terry’s life was the Shayla Bee Foundation. The foundation meant so much to Terry, not only because of its mission, but because of the friendships and sense of family he found there. Terry was grateful to be a small part of the Shayla Bee family, and he treasured the people he met and the memories they made together.

The Shayla Bee Foundation’s mission is centered on bringing hope, support, and meaningful experiences to children and families facing childhood cancer and other serious illnesses. Through acts of kindness, community support, fundraising, and special events, the foundation helps families feel less alone during some of the most difficult seasons of their lives. It creates opportunities for children to make memories, experience joy, and simply be kids, while also surrounding families with compassion and encouragement.

Terry was proud to support that mission in his own way. He understood the importance of showing up for people, lending a hand, and making memories that matter. The Shayla Bee family gave Terry another place to do what he did best—connect with people, share laughter, help where he could, and enjoy the ride.

And there were plenty of rides.

Terry enjoyed many memorable motorcycle rides with his Shayla Bee friends. Some rides were smooth and beautiful, while others became stories that would be told for years. There were times when the group simply thanked God for getting from Point A to Point B. There were also rainy rides when everyone arrived soaked, laughing, and pouring what seemed like tons of water out of their boots.

Those rides were never just about the motorcycles or the destination. They were about the people, the fellowship, the adventure, and the stories created along the way. Terry loved being part of that group and the friendships he built through the Shayla Bee Foundation. Those friendships became an important part of his life and a treasured part of his legacy.

Terry will be deeply missed by his beloved bride, Randine; his daughter and favorite child—although he would probably say “oldest and favorite daughter”—Melissa Crouch (Aaron Owens); his son and favorite son, Garrett and Katlyn Crouch; and his six grandchildren, Dalton, Makynlee, Oliver, Aynslee, Wesley, and Easton.

He is also survived by his brother, Robin and Patti Crouch, and their children, Levi and Heather and Kevin; his very special almost-son-in-law, Todd Vinke, who was part of giving Terry his first two grandchildren; his mother-in-law, Muriel Smith, who considered Terry her favorite son (basically her favorite child); brother-in-law Mitchell Smith; brother-in-law Steve Timmons and sister-in-law Candy Timmons; along with many beloved Crouch uncles, including Deck, Don, Robert, and Bob, aunts Katie, Lois, and Kaye, and many cousins, friends, coworkers, Shayla Bee family members, and people whose lives Terry touched along the way.

Terry was preceded in death by his parents, Bill and Doris Crouch; his niece, Gretchen; grandparents Fern and Roy Crouch and Elsie and Lloyd Anderson; and his father-in-law, Earl Smith, whom Terry never had the opportunity to meet.

Perhaps heaven had one more family reunion planned.

Terry and Earl will finally meet for the first time.

And we can only imagine that Terry will have a story to tell him.

Terry leaves behind much more than a lifetime of accomplishments. He leaves behind stories—the kind that will be told around kitchen tables, campfires, garages, and motorcycle rides for years to come. He leaves behind his love of cars and machines, his quick wit, his mischievous sense of humor, his ability to fix nearly anything, his love of adventure, and his unwavering love for his family and friends.

Most of all, Terry leaves behind the people he loved most.

His bride.

His children.

His grandchildren.

His family and friends.

His Shayla Bee family.

And a lifetime of memories.

Terry didn’t just live life. He tinkered with it, fixed it, occasionally caused a little trouble with it, rode through the rain with it, and most importantly, he made sure the people he loved had a whole lot of fun along the way.

His greatest legacy will not be the machines he fixed or the cars he knew so much about.

It will be the people he loved, the lives he touched, the friendships he built, the families he supported, and the memories he made.

Rest easy, Terry. Your work here is done. ❤️