Jerome Keith "Bud" Siebrecht

Jerome Keith “Bud” Siebrecht, son of Valmah H. Siebrecht and Magdalene M. (Thiese) Siebrecht, was born on September 14, 1937, on the family farm in Clayton County, Iowa. He was baptized at Trinity Lutheran Church in Guttenberg and affirmed his faith at Our Redeemer Lutheran Church in Elkader. Bud grew up on the farm, attended country school in Clayton Center, and graduated from high school in Garnavillo in 1955.

He served in the United States Air Force from 1956 to 1960, honorably discharging after tours in Morocco and Mountain Home, Idaho. In 1961, he married Judy Cook at St. Paul Lutheran Church in Garnavillo. Together they raised two children, Jed James and Jill Karen. Bud worked alongside his family on the farm, practiced carpentry, hauled eggs, and later served with the Soil Conservation Service until his retirement in 1997. With his carpentry skills, he built additions to the barn and house and transformed a small shack into the family home. He applied his conservation knowledge to his own land, creating terraces, dikes, grass strips, windbreaks, and restoring trees. His deepest pride was reserved for his horses. At age eleven he received his first horse, Sam, who remained with him for nearly thirty years. Together with his Uncle Cliff, he belonged to the Flying Hoof Quadrille, performing square dances on horseback. Horses remained a constant joy throughout his life.

Bud passed away on March 3, 2026, at Stoney Brook Village in West Union, surrounded by his family. He is survived by his son, Jed (Lori) Siebrecht, and daughter, Jill (David) Swope, both of Clermont, Iowa; grandchildren Jared (Cassie) Siebrecht, Jenna (Nick) Stortz, Heidi (Erik) Schumacher, Joshua (Stephanie) Swope, and Ryan (Donna) Swope; and thirteen great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his parents, sisters Valene (Keith) Lau and Sharon (Howard) Keehner, and brother Cheryl “Chuck” Siebrecht.

Bud cherished his family, the outdoors, and the quiet beauty of the natural world. He lived a life grounded in hard work, quiet competence, and deep love for the land and the horses that carried him through it.