EDWARD WILLIAM KOZELKA 1912-2000

TAYEK, KOZELKA, GUNDERSON, LARSON, WILLARD

Posted By: Mary Durr (email)
Date: 12/19/2009 at 11:33:10

A service for Edward Kozelka was conducted by John Kittleson Saturday, January 15, 2000 at 10 a.m. at the Good Samaritan Center Chapel. A funeral mass for Mr. Kozelka was held Saturday, January 15, 2000 at 11 a.m. in St. Bridget Catholic Church at Postville, Iowa. Mgr. Cletus Hawes was the presider. Mary Day was the Lector, Bruce Day and David Straate were the Mass Servers and the Gift Bearers were Michael and Stephen Larson. A Scripture Service was held on Friday at 6 p.m. at the Schutte Funeral Home in Postville. Burial was in the Postville Cemetery.

Edward William Kozelka, the son of William Frank and Elizabeth (Tayek) Kozelka, was born July 19, 1912 at the home of his grandparents in Monona, Iowa. He passed away Tuesday, January 11, 2000 in the Gundersen Lutheran Hospital at LaCrosse, Wisconsin, at the age of 87.

After graduating from Postville High School in 1929, he entered Columbia College (now Loras) in Dubuque, Iowa. While recovering at home from scarlet fever, he was hired by Harvey Roberts for a job that Ed thought would last about two months. This "temporary" job had lasted 43 years by the time he retired from Hall Roberts' Son in 1975. He managed the firm for most of those years.

On February 24, 1941 he was married to Beulah Gunderson of Clermont in St. Bridget's Rectory in Postville. To this union a daughter, Gail, was born in 1943.

Ed was a strong and constant supporter of the Postville community. As chairman of the Postville Industrial and Development Committee, he worked to successfully promote the town and bring new industries to the area. He was instrumental in planning and fund raising projects for the Community Memorial Hospital, the Good Samaritan Center and other community projects.

He served on the boards of the Postville State Bank, Postville Telephone Company, Big Four Fair, and the Advisory Board of the Good Samaritan Center.

Other memberships included Kiwanis Club, where he served as a district officer, the Postville Commercial Club, Postville Historical Society, Upper Explorerland Regional Planning Committee, Allamakee County Board of Review, Allamakee County Economic Development Committee, and many other area committees. Ed retired from Hall Roberts' Son but never retired from community involvement and interest. His employment at Hall Roberts' Son led to active membership and leadership positions in many business-related organizations.

Ed and Beulah spent the last nine winters in Olympia, making new friends and enjoying being near their daughter and son-in-law. He was a strong supporter of the development of the East Park Terrace Condominiums and Ed and Beulah were among its first residents in May of 1997.

Ed was a lifelong member of St. Bridget Catholic Church in Postville.

Ed and Beulah had recently endowed a renewable scholarship which is presented to two graduating seniors at the awards ceremony each year in May.

He is survived by his wife, Beulah, a daughter, Gail and her husband, Dr. Larry Larson of Olympia, Washington, two grandsons, Michael Larson and his wife Kirstin, of Chicago, Illinois, and Stephen Larson and his wife, Jill, of Cambridge, Massachusetts.

He is preceded in death by his parents and a sister, Eileen Kozelka Willard, who died in 1945.

During the last years of his life, nothing brought more joy to Ed than the accomplishments of his grandsons and their wives. Visits from Chicago by Mike and Kirstin were treasured. Early in October Ed and Beulah were able to attend the wedding of Steve and Jill in Boston. It was only after the wedding that illnesses began to take their toll on the couple.

Casketbearers were Stan Straate, R. F. Schneider, LaVerne Rose, John Schultz, Larry Reed, Millard Nelson, Jr., M. F. Kiesau, Lyle Zieman, David Day, Stanley Schroeder, Hall M. Roberts, and John Kittleson.

Postville Herald-Leader newspaper clipping from my mother's obituary collection.
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