Maquoketa Legend and One-Of-A-Kind, Glen W. “Red” Henton, 104, of Maquoketa, Iowa, passed away peacefully on Friday morning, October 18, 2024, at Clover Ridge Place in Maquoketa.

Red Henton was not only a man but a myth and a legend, embodying the essence of what it means to live a full and vibrant life. Over the course of his 104 incredible years, he achieved so much that it’s nearly impossible to encapsulate.

Red was born Sept. 3, 1920, the youngest of three sons born to a couple named Shields. He was given the name F.J., after Dr. F.J. Swift, the longtime Maquoketa physician who delivered him.  A short time later, F. J. Shields became Glen William Henton, the adopted son of George and Nellie Henton.  He was a graduate of Maquoketa High School and then signed a contract to play baseball for the Chicago White Sox.  However, once he reported to the farm team practice site in Grand Forks, North Dakota, he changed his mind about a career in baseball.  He eventually settled into a job as rural mail carrier in Jackson County, from which he retired.

He married Bernice Kokemuller on August 30, 1941 in Kahoka, Missouri.  December brought the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor and by June of 1942, Red was in uniform for the U.S. Army-Air Force that sent him to the China-Burma-India Theater. He was there for 30 months as a member of the 490th Bomber Squadron.  Returning home from the war, Red was able to see for the first time his daughter Judy, who was then 2 years old. Their second daughter, Nancy, came along four years later.

Red’s interest in music and entertaining began at an early age. When he was in high school, he and his two brothers formed a band named the Shields Brothers.  They signed with a booking company from Des Moines and performed all over the country.  They later formed the Oklahoma Cowboys and played cowboy country music.  Eventually his brothers moved on, and Bernice joined her husband on keyboards while Red played guitar and harmonica. They began playing at area venues, notably the Rendezvous Supper Club in Maquoketa on Wednesday nights and the Heights Supper Club in Monticello on Thursday and Friday nights. Red also operated the Lakehurst Supper Club in Maquoketa for several years, playing there regularly.

Red’s introduction to pitching horseshoes came during childhood summers.  He was throwing ringers at 7 years old, and when he was 14, he entered a competition held at the Maquoketa ballpark and threw 94 out of 100 ringers. When he was 40 years old, he went to Des Moines and entered the state tournament for the first time. He competed on the first day of the tournament, but then left after learning his birth mother had died. He returned the next year, took the state championship and went on to win it 19 times.  From there he competed for the world championship, and usually finished in the top eight or 10.  He was named the No. 1 horseshoe player in the United States in 1977. He was the National Horseshoe Pitchers Association Intermediate World Champion in 1985 and 1986 and was voted into the National Horseshoe Pitchers Hall of Fame in 1987.  The game for which he is most remembered occurred in 1965, when he and Ray Martin of Philo, Illinois, were locked in a duel in the world tournament. The game continued for some 2½ hours before Red finally outlasted Martin, throwing 175 ringers to Martin’s 174. The feat was listed for several years in the Guinness Book of World Records for most ringers in a single game, a record that still stands.

For many years, Red could be found on summer days in his flat-bottom fishing boat on the Mississippi River below the lock and dam in Bellevue, pulling in catfish or trolling for walleyes.

Through the years Red was generous with his time, talent and resources.  A few of Red’s honors he received from the community included being named grand marshal of the Jackson County Fair parade in 2003. The Maquoketa Rotary Club awarded him an honorary Paul Harris Fellowship. American Legion Timber City Post 75 honored him for 50 years of service and the O’Connor-Regenwether Chapter of the Veterans of Foreign Wars gave him a life membership.  In 2020, September 3rd was named Glen W. “Red” Henton Day in Maquoketa.  The Fulton Community Church, where Red had been a member of for over 89 years, had a special meaning to him.  Red and Bernice played an instrumental role in raising funds to get the 123-year-old church building moved, saving it from demolition as part of the U.S. 61 four-lane expansion project in the 1990s, and getting it renovated.

In every role he held — devoted husband to the remarkable Bernice, loving father to Judy and Nancy, and a legendary grandfather to his grandkids, great-grandkids, and even great-great-grandkids — he enriched countless lives with his wisdom, humor, and love.

An article penned by Douglas Melvold for his 100th birthday (Sept. 3, 2020) paints a fitting picture of the extraordinary life he led. Red was a world champion horseshoe pitcher, whose talent and achievements earned him a place in the Guinness Book of World Records. He was an entertainer, adored for his singing across various venues, and a master fisherman who knew all the tricks to catch Mississippi River catfish and walleye. His service in World War II, combined with a career that included delivering mail and advocating for his fellow workers, showcased his commitment to both community and family.

Red’s adventurous spirit shone through in everything he did, whether it was eloping to Missouri to marry Bernice or saving the local church from an expansion project. He remained fiercely independent, still driving his maroon minivan, cooking for himself, and sharing witty jokes until the very end.

Those left to honor Red’s memory include daughters, Judy (Dan) Byam of Clinton, IA, and Nancy Scholl of Cedar Rapids, IA; grandkids, great-grandkids, and great-great-grandkids.  He was preceded in death by parents, wife Bernice, 2 brothers, 2 sisters, and a son-in-law Dr. Robert Scholl.

A celebration of Red’s life will be held at 12 P.M., Saturday, November 2, 2024, at Carson Celebration of Life Center in Maquoketa.  Visitation will be held prior to the funeral from 9:30 A.M. until 11:45 A.M. at the funeral home.  Burial will be at Mount Hope Cemetery, Maquoketa, with military honors.

As we remember Red, let us celebrate a life well-lived and the legacy he leaves behind. His strength, laughter, and stories will forever resonate with us.

In lieu of other expressions of sympathy, a Glen W. “Red” Henton memorial fund has been established.

Online condolences may be left for the family at www.CarsonAndSon.com