Horst Wilhelm Bommert, 86, passed away Monday, March 7th, 2022 at Mercy Hospital in Des Moines, IA. A celebration of life will be held on April 24th at the Greenwood-Jay Spence Enclosed Shelter in Des Moines, IA from Noon to 4 PM.
Horst was born June 15, 1935 to Kurt and Hilda Bommert in Schwetzingen, Germany. He was the middle child with two older brothers and two younger sisters. At the age of 14, he recognized what would be a lifelong passion for baking and took on an apprenticeship in that field. Just prior to obtaining his master baker certification Horst immigrated to Oelwein, IA at the age of 23. Adapting to life in a new country and learning a new language with remarkable speed.
Here he continued his love of baking and grew a career in meat cutting and deli managing, even owning and operating his own burger shack, The Frosty Freeze. Horst's success granted him the ability to offer aid to families in need year-round but especially during the holidays, ever mindful of taking care of his fellow man when possible. He would later take up employment in catering and deli managing for Hy-Vee and ultimately retired from Dahl's Grocery in the early 2000s.
Horst was fond of sharing stories from his childhood in Germany, many of which included antics with his childhood friend Helmuth Hammes or his younger sisters. These adventures ranged from escaping detention by climbing down a gutter downspout to putting out a fire on his father's motorcycle with snow. Horst was a lover of adventure and living life to the fullest, obtaining his pilot's license just to say he had and later in life traveling whenever possible. He had a fantastic sense of humor and a gift for making people laugh. Above all else, Horst will be remembered as a tremendously loving and faithfully patient father who put his girls first to the very end.
Left to cherish his memory is his wife, Jean Schroeder; daughters, Michele Smorstad, Sandra (Tim) Richards and Cynthia (Josh) Goering; granddaughter, Dakota Goering; sisters, Helga (Bob) Berry and Doris (Terry) Gilbert; and many nieces and nephews. Horst was preceded in death by his parents; and brothers, Werner and Dieter.
Memorial contributions may be directed to Food Bank of Iowa at PO Box 1517 Des Moines, IA 50305 or online at www.foodbankiowa.org/donatenow
To send flowers
to the family or plant a tree
in memory of Horst Bommert, please visit our floral store.