Chester "Chet" Sheetz, Jr.

Chester "Chet" Sheetz, Jr.

Cedar Rapids

Chester “Chet” Sheetz, Jr., 86, of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, died Saturday, October 11, 2025. Visitation will be held from 5 to 7 p.m. on October 28, 2025, at Murdoch-Linwood Funeral Home & Cremation Service in Cedar Rapids, with a Vigil Service beginning at 5 p.m. Funeral Mass will be held at 10 a.m. on October 29, 2025, at St. Ludmila Catholic Church in Cedar Rapids. Inurnment: Oak Hill Cemetery, Central City, Iowa

Chet was born on May 6, 1939, in Freeport, Iowa, to Chester Sr. and Emma (Ploeger) Sheetz. He began high school in Decorah, Iowa, and, after his freshman year in 1955, moved to Cedar Rapids, where he graduated from McKinley High School with the Class of 1957. Chet married Shirley Price on February 7, 1959. The couple later divorced but reunited and remarried on July 28, 2008. He worked for Rockwell Collins until 1987 and later for Caterpillar, retiring in 2008. Chet was a member of St. Ludmila Catholic Church and was the lead singer and banjo/guitar player for the Echo Mountain Boys Band. In 2015, Chet was inducted into the Iowa Bluegrass Hall of Fame.

As a skilled woodworker, he loved making things for other people including hand crosses (made over a 1000), jewelry boxes, and intarsia creations. His woodworking legacy lives on in the many projects he made for his church including over 30 crucifixes hanging on display around the church and community center, a confessional booth, back of chair kneelers, and a podium stand.

Chet cherished time spent with his many retired golf and bowling buddies. He also enjoyed playing golf, pool, and darts with his son, Jeff.

He loved his family above all else on this earth. His favorite times were ones visiting with any one of his five grandkids and one great-granddaughter.

Chet was a fun loving man and seemed to have a joke up his sleeve ready to tell. He was always willing to help out someone in need as was taught to him by his dad.

Survivors include his wife, Shirley Sheetz; children, Julie (Sean) Condon of Falcon, Colorado, and Jeff (Peggy) Sheetz of Cedar Rapids; five grandchildren, Patrick, Brenden, Alysha, Ben, and Joseph; and one great-granddaughter, Loretta.

He was preceded in death by his parents; sisters, Nancy Reed, Grace Hartson, Oramae Cozart, Helen Mehsling, and Mildred Trizani; brothers, Donald Sheetz and infant Merton Sheetz.

Memorials may be directed to the family for a memorial fund to be established.

Please share a memory of Chet at www.murdochfuneralhome.com under obituaries.