Leo Francis Byrnes 1918-2006

LINK, BYRNES, WALSH, CHESTERMAN, DURHMAN, GONZALES, KEHL, O’FLAHERTY, BAUMBICH, BOHANEK, FERMON, LAGER, KINERK, BRANDT, WILSON, TRESSEL, BARRELL

Posted By: Volunteer
Date: 9/8/2006 at 12:46:42

Leo Byrnes

Leo F. Byrnes, 88, of Waukon, Iowa, died Monday, July 10, 2006, at Veterans Memorial Hospital in Waukon. Funeral services were held Friday, July 14, at St. Patrick’s Catholic Church in Waukon with Fr. Joseph Schneider officiating. Burial was in Mt. Olivet Cemetery in Waukon. Martin Funeral Home in Waukon was in charge of arrangements.

Leo Francis Byrnes, son of John and Eleanor (Link) Byrnes, was born on their Jefferson Township, rural Waukon, Iowa, farm May 8, 1918. He was baptized and confirmed at St. Patrick’s Catholic Church in Waukon. Leo attended Jefferson Township rural school, St. Patrick’s High School, and graduated from Waukon High School. He continued his education at Waukon Junior College, where he graduated in 1934, and then at Iowa State University, where he graduated in 1937.

June 2, 1943, he married Mary Ellen Walsh at St. Pius at Cherry Mound Catholic Church in rural Harpers Ferry, Iowa. Leo and Mary farmed south of Waukon where they raised crops and maintained a pure-bred Angus cattle herd. Leo also sold property insurance and served as president of German Farmers Mutual Insurance Association in Waukon. He also served as vice president of Allamakee-Clayton Electric Cooperative in Postville and as treasurer of Dairyland Power Cooperative of La Crosse, Wis. Leo was a member of St. Patrick’s Catholic Church in Waukon and St. Matthew’s Council of the Knights of Columbus.

Survivors include his seven children, Anne (Robert) Chesterman of Dubuque, Rita (Paul) Durhman of Onalaska, Wis., Marjorie (Ben) Gonzales of Clinton, John (Susan) Byrnes of Plymouth, Minn., Joe (Patsy) Byrnes of La Crosse, Robert (Brenda) Byrnes of Marshall, Minn., and Daniel (Traci) Byrnes of Waukon; 19 grandchildren, Barb (Kevin) Kehl of Dubuque, Jane (Vikram Chinchankar) Chesterman of Houston, Texas, Beth Chesterman of Dubuque, Sean (Laura) O’Flaherty of La Crosse, Katie (Brian) Baumbich of Nodine, Minn., Mary (Bob) Bohanek of Mendota Heights, Minn., Jennifer (Dan) Fermon of Lebanon, Ohio, Jacqueline Lager of Lebanon, Robin (Mark) Kinerk of Spokane, Wash., Mark and Matthew Byrnes of Minneapolis, Pat (Alicia) Byrnes of Blaine, Minn., Chris (Amy) Byrnes of Madison, Wis., Emma, Sarah and Liz Byrnes of La Crosse, Wis., Bridget and Brian Byrnes of Marshall, and Natalie Byrnes of Waukon; 12 great-grandchildren; a brother, James Byrnes of Waukon; and three sisters, Betty (Kenneth) Brandt of Waukon, Lorna Wilson of Phoenixville, Pa., and Loretta Tressel of Richfield, Minn.

He was preceded in death by his parents; his wife Mary, who died in 1999; and a sister, Edna Barrell.

Casketbearers were Sean O’Flaherty and Mark, Matthew, Chris, Pat, and Brian Byrnes.

Memorials may be made to Allamakee Dollars for Scholars, Allamakee County Food Shelf, or the charity of your choice.

Waukon Standard, July 19, 2006

Allamakee Obituaries maintained by Sharyl Ferrall.
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