This page is dedicated in memory of Iowa's firefighters who have made the ultimate sacrifice and given their lives in the line of duty. The Iowa Firefighters Memorial is located north of Interstate 80 in Coralville, Iowa. It is a standing tribute to those that served Iowa's communities against the rages of fire. The mission of the memorial is to forever honor, celebrate and inspire the spirit, courage and service of Iowa firefighters - past, present and future.
- Iowa Firefighters - Line of Duty Deaths (147)
- Iowa Firefighter Line of Duty Deaths
Firefighter Name Rank Department Date of Death Charles Smith Firefighter Cedar Rapids Fire Department July 31, 1890 Lycurgus M. Leek Firefighter Iowa City Fire Department June 19, 1897 Grant Norton Firefighter Harlan Fire Department June 17, 1901 William Wise Firefighter Dubuque Fire Department May 2, 1902 Charles Ganahl Firefighter Dubuque Fire Department May 8, 1902 John Fitzpatrick Firefighter Dubuque Fire Department May 8, 1902 Bernard McBride Firefighter Des Moines Fire Department April 3, 1904 Emil Arthofer Firefighter Dubuque Fire Department May 24, 1905 Robert Davidson Firefighter Colfax Fire Department May 28, 1905 T. S. Cunningham Captain Davenport Fire Department December 18, 1905 C. A. Carlson Firefighter Des Moines Fire Department January 14, 1907 John Clark Firefighter Des Moines Fire Department January 17, 1907 Henry Joseph Brow Firefighter Sioux City Fire Department September 26, 1911 Charles H. Eicher Firefighter Waterloo Fire Department December 19, 1911 Seely Lawton Firefighter Sioux City Fire Department March 26, 1914 Frank Fulton Firefighter Sioux City Fire Department March 26, 1914 S. L. Shivers Firefighter Des Moines Fire Department March 14, 1915 Richard C. Coates Firefighter Sheldon Fire Department September 25, 1915 Peter Zillig Firefighter Dubuque Fire Department October 8, 1917 Dick Eggleston Firefighter Osceola Fire Department November 22, 1917 George Griffin Firefighter Osceola Fire Department November 22, 1917 Adolph Leibsohn Firefighter Dike Fire Department October 9, 1918 Charles Mohr Firefighter Davenport Fire Department February 3, 1924 C. A. Grim Firefighter Des Moines Fire Department December 13, 1927 George Nelson Firefighter Cedar Rapids Police Department August 29, 1927 Manual Vlach Firefighter Cedar Rapids Police Department December 29, 1927 Merritt Nolan Firefighter Chariton Fire Department January 3, 1928 Ralph Judkins Firefighter Indianola Fire Department March 4, 1928 Paul Soseman Firefighter Holstein Fire Department August 1, 1930 Fred Raukohl Firefighter Holstein Fire Department August 1, 1930 Thomas Lingle Firefighter Holstein Fire Department August 1, 1930 William Gebers Firefighter Holstein Fire Department August 1, 1930 Thomas L. Grogan Firefighter Keokuk Fire Department October 27, 1932 Oscar J. Roland Firefighter What Cheer Fire Department August 27, 1933 William T. Phillips Firefighter What Cheer Fire Department August 27, 1933 Leslie Hermann Firefighter What Cheer Fire Department August 27, 1933 Marvin J. Bodeman Firefighter What Cheer Fire Department August 27, 1933 S. W. Britton Firefighter Des Moines Fire Department October 10, 1933 Louis Kraut Firefighter Cedar Rapids Police Department March 30, 1934 Edward H. Knipp Firefighter Waterloo Fire Department November 22, 1936 William Burnett Chief Des Moines Fire Department March 26, 1937 Elmer Hubacher Firefighter Dubuque Fire Department March 20, 1938 Fred E. Welsh Firefighter Des Moines Fire Department August 25, 1939 Herman Otto Firefighter Waterloo Fire Department May 21, 1940 Leo J. Kelly Firefigher Rock Island Arsenal Fire Department (Davenport) June 20, 1941 Joseph Shimanek Firefighter Oxford Junction Fire Department March 26, 1943 John Peterson Firefighter Council Bluffs Fire Department July 11, 1943 William Victor Knowles Firefighter Hubbard Fire Department December 10, 1943 Theo Pointer Firefighter Des Moines Fire Department July 10, 1944 Arthur Cochran Firefighter Des Moines Fire Department December 5, 1944 Richard S. Overturf Firefighter Elberton Fire Department December 3, 1945 Conrad F. Frey Captain Davenport Fire Department January 5, 1947 Lloyd King Firefighter Deep River Fire Department June 27, 1947 Carl O. Danielson Chief Decorah Fire Department July 22, 1947 Harold Herman Firefighter Burlington Fire Department October 12, 1947 Patrick L. Swift Firefighter Des Moines Fire Department December 5, 1948 Lawrence F. Stradtman Firefighter Des Moines Fire Department February 18, 1949 Mike T. Sheehey Firefighter Des Moines Fire Department March 31, 1950 William Cavett Driver Council Bluffs Fire Department November 20, 1950 Oliver Bird Lieutenant Des Moines Fire Department February 8, 1951 David William Silts Firefighter Ames Fire Department February 15, 1952 Patrick Casey Captain Dubuque Fire Department August 13, 1952 Charles Gioimo Firefighter Dyersville Fire Department September 1, 1952 Velois Linden Firefighter Sioux City Fire Department October 31, 1952 Stephen Mironchick Firefighter Sioux City Fire Department November 6, 1952 Gurney Thornton Firefighter New Providence Fire Department 1954 Fred E. Moore Firefighter Mason City Fire Department June 30, 1954 Vincent Mohatt Firefighter Vail Fire Department 1955 William O. Turner Firefighter Marengo Fire Department December 29, 1955 Stanley Peterson Firefighter Des Moines Fire Department February 16, 1956 Dorman Johnson Firefighter Des Moines Fire Department February 16, 1956 Robert E. Carter Chief Alta Fire Department January 1, 1957 Waldo T. Wold Firefighter Saint Ansgar Fire Department August 15, 1958 David E. Zaugg Firefighter West Bend Fire Department January 2, 1960 Albert Bartlow Firefighter Des Moines Fire Department March 6, 1960 Darrell McTwigan Firefighter Council Bluffs Fire Department March 16, 1961 James J. Harty Firefighter Des Moines Fire Department 1962 Ralph Quinn Firefighter Des Moines Fire Department February 27, 1962 Frank F. Gutknecht Firefighter Hudson Fire Department August 28, 1962 Waldo Merrill Firefighter Council Bluffs Fire Department January 17, 1964 George A. Zeman Firefighter Hills Fire Department June 20, 1964 Gerald Snethen Firefighter Des Moines Fire Department August 14, 1964 Maurice I. Repp Firefighter Marengo Fire Department October 16, 1964 Edward Kudron Firefighter Sioux City Fire Department September 9, 1965 Thomas Schlueger Firefighter Fort Dodge Fire Department 1966 Edgar Doyle Jacobs Firefighter Des Moines Fire Department August 31, 1966 Lester J. Shadel Firefighter Davenport Fire Department October 26, 1967 Clarence Niemeyer Chief Garner Fire Department October 29, 1967 Jess W. Martin Firefighter Livermore Fire Department November 9, 1967 Bernard Deeny Firefighter Waukon Fire Department March 30, 1968 B. Burdette Bennett Firefighter Toledo Fire Department 1969 Lewis P. Freeman Chief Vinton Fire Department April 9, 1969 Bob McDowell Firefighter Clarksville Fire Department June 27, 1969 John Leto Firefighter Des Moines Fire Department February 10, 1970 Robert Hein Firefighter Iowa City Fire Department 1971 Woodrow Loux Firefighter Eagle Grove Fire Department 1973 Hillary Zeller Firefighter Palo Fire Department January 12, 1973 James Lee Longmuir Firefighter Waverly Fire Department May 15, 1973 Elvin Thompson Firefighter Sigourney Fire Department August 21, 1973 Bruce Jacobs Firefighter Sigourney Fire Department August 21, 1973 Warren H. Cunningham Firefighter Mason City Fire Department August 31, 1973 L. L. Hinmon Firefighter Independence Fire Department July 11, 1975 Floyd L. Hale Firefighter Polk City Fire Department January 5, 1976 Robert Simon Firefighter Cedar Rapids Fire Department May 20, 1976 Melvin Goebel Firefighter Cedar Rapids Fire Department May 20, 1976 James Schurg Firefighter Ruthven Fire Department September 7, 1976 Eldon L. Christensen Firefighter Clarksville Fire Department January 21, 1977 Walter Eberhart Firefighter Charlotte Fire Department December 22, 1981 James R. Baker Firefighter Ankeny Fire Department 1982 Kirk M. Wicker Firefighter Sioux City Fire Department June 27, 1982 Michael L. Johnson Firefighter Sioux City Fire Department June 27, 1982 John Evans Firefighter Clear Lake Fire Department 1984 Harold L. Hansen Firefighter Audubon Fire Department March 2, 1984 Lyle V. Boone Firefighter Sydney Fire Department January 21, 1985 Wayne H. Burmeister Chief Lost Nation Fire Department December 23, 1985 Joseph M. Witt Captain West Burlington Fire Department January 1, 1990 William T. Klein Firefighter West Burlington Fire Department January 1, 1990 Mike Pinneke Firefighter Garner Fire Department 1991 John H. Sienknecht Firefighter Clutier Fire Department December 8, 1991 Don Milner Firefighter Elliott Fire Department November 17, 1992 Jack Grosse Firefighter Cedar Falls Fire Department October 24, 1997 Larry R. Walsh Firefighter Albert City Fire Department April 9, 1998 Tom Archer Firefighter Albert City Fire Department April 9, 1998 Nathan R. Tuck Firefighter Keokuk Fire Department December 22, 1999 David M. McNally Firefighter Keokuk Fire Department December 22, 1999 Jason L. Bitting Firefighter Keokuk Fire Department December 22, 1999 Douglas G. Stevens Firefighter Story City Fire Department February 4, 2000 Kevin Sterenchuk Firefighter Cedar Rapids Fire Department March 27, 2000 James Ted Griffith Firefighter Winterset Fire Department April 7, 2000 Dale Simpson Firefighter Clear Lake Fire Department April 2, 2001 Michael R. Kruse Firefighter Muscatine Fire Department September 14, 2002 James Duane Richards Firefighter Oran Fire Department October 20, 2003 Dixie Lee Steckelberg Firefighter Lovilla Fire Department December 18, 2003 Gregory H. Vieth Firefighter Davenport Fire Department January 9, 2004 Donald Nathan Carlson Firefighter Ute Fire Department November 2, 2004 Michael A. Mercurio Firefighter Urbandale Fire Department February 18, 2005 Justin P. Faur Firefighter Andover Volunteer Fire Department April 30, 2005 Daniel Anthony Nichols Firefighter Indianola Fire Department December 26, 2005 Steven S. Crannell Firefighter Guthrie Center Fire Department April 22, 2010 Michael B. Collins Firefighter Shelby Fire Department September 18, 2011 Larry Dean Nielsen Chief Gilmore City Fire Department October 9, 2012 Michael "Coop" E. Cooper Assistant Chief Centerville Fire Department January 31, 2015 Douglas McCauley Engineer Des Moines Fire Department February 11, 2017 James Franciskovich Firefighter Ames Fire Department March 17, 2017 Steven P. Buser Chief Earling Fire and Rescue October 20, 2018 Eric M. Hosette Lieutenant Clinton Fire Department January 5, 2019