Carl James Fitzgerald 1918-2004

WHALEN, FITZGERALD, ASCHOM, KURT, HEINS

Posted By: Volunteer
Date: 12/22/2007 at 15:36:40

Carl Fitzgerald

Carl J. Fitzgerald, 86, of Waukon, died Monday, November 29, 2004, at Veterans Memorial Hospital in Waukon. Funeral services will be held Friday, December 3 at 10:30 a.m. at St. Patrick's Catholic Church in Waukon with Fr. Joseph Schneider and Rev. Msgr. Ed Lechtenberg officiating. Burial will be in Gethsemane Cemetery, Lansing. Friends may call from 4 to 8 p.m. Thursday at Martin Funeral Home in Waukon where there will be a 4 p.m. Scripture Service.

Carl James Fitzgerald was born September 17, 1918, in the Wexford area of rural Lansing, Iowa. His parents were Edward T. and Kathryn (Whalen) Fitzgerald. He was baptized and confirmed at Immaculate Conception at Wexford Catholic Church and graduated from Lansing High School in 1937. Following school he worked for the Civilian Conservation Corps for several years.

On February 24, 1941, Carl married Clara Theodora Aschom at Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in Lansing. They moved to Milwaukee where he began work for Christiansen Roofing Company. In 1946 they returned to Lansing where he and his brother started Fitzgerald Brothers Roofing Company. He moved the business to Waukon in 1960 where it became known as Carl Fitzgerald Roofing Construction Company, Inc., the largest roofing firm in the area and the first to have a hydraulic crane. During his years in the roofing business, from 1946 until retiring in the fall of 1986, Carl's company roofed almost every major building in the northeast Iowa, southwest Wisconsin, and southeast Minnesota area, including most schools, colleges, churches, and factories. From 1963 until 1969 Carl and Clara also owned and operated Fitzgerald Gift House in Waukon.

Carl was a member of the International Union of Operating Engineers, Local #139 which recently commended him on 61 years of membership. He and Clara were well known in the area for their outdoor seasonal home displays which attracted people of all ages. The displays were made of ceramic and wood, often featured animated and animal characters, and were highlighted by Carl's waterfall and floral displays. Carl liked to hunt when he was younger, later enjoyed traveling with family throughout the western US, and will be remembered traveling many of the local roads in his "Gentleman Jim" pickup.

Survivors include three children, Anna Mae Kurt of Waukon, James E. Fitzgerald of Kenosha, Wis., and Mary Jo Fitzgerald of Tucson, Ariz.; four grandchildren, Stephanie (Ryan) Petersen, Carrie (Kevin) Pok, Elissa (Matthew) Petkovic, and Patrick Fitzgerald; three great-grandchildren, Carson Petersen and Nicole and Ashley Petkovic; a sister, Ellen (Gordon) Heins of Jackson, Mich.; and several nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his parents; his wife Clara, who died just 30 days earlier; a daughter-in-law, Clare Fitzgerald; a son-in-law, Crispin Kurt; and a brother, John.

Casketbearers are Patrick Fitzgerald, Ryan Petersen, and Kevin and Carrie Pok.

Waukon Standard, November 30, 2004