Willard E. Leiran 1930-2001

LEIRAN, MITCHELL, MONROE, BUSNESS

Posted By: AMK (email)
Date: 1/13/2010 at 16:00:20

Willard E. Leiran, 71, of Waterville, died Fri. Dec 7, 2001 at Good Samaritan Center in Waukon.
Funeral services were held Mon. Dec 10, at 1:30 p.m. at East Paint Creek Synod Lutheran Church in rural Waterville with the Reverend Harvey Abrahamson officiating. Burial with graveside military rites followed on the church cemetery. Martin Funeral Home in Waukon assisted the family with arrangements. Willard Elmore Leiran was born Nov. 20, 1930 on the Paint Creek Township rural Waterville farm of his parents Harry Emmert and Nora Clarinda (Busness) Leiran. He was baptized and confirmed at East Paint Creek Synod Lutheran Church where he remained a lifelong member and held numerous offices. He graduated from Waterville High School in 1948 where he played baseball and basketball.
Following school Willard worked for the Waterville Lumber Yard. From 1951 to 1954 he served in the US Air Forces as a Staff Sergeant with the military police and saw duty in Japan. He returned to Waterville following the service where he worked as a postal clerk, operated a bottled gas service, drove school bus, and farmed.
On Jan. 22, 1956, he married Marlys Mitchell at the Methodist Church in Monona. He later served as postmaster in Waterville for 25 years.
Willard served with the Waterville Fire Department, was a member of the Harpers Ferry American Legion, a charter member of the Waterville Booster Club, and a member of Aid Association for Lutherans. He enjoyed hunting, fishing, woodworking, bowling, spending time on his farm, and cutting wood. He loved special times with his family, and was particularly happy visiting with and helping friends and neighbors.
Willard was preceded in death by his parents. Survivors include his wife; Marlys, of Waterville; a son Steven (Nancy) of Waukon; a daughter, Cindy (Lowell) Monroe of Genoa, WI; five grandchildren, Megan and Katelyn Leiran and Kristin, Ali, and Shane Monroe; and two brothers, Norman of Waterville, and Richard (Joan) of Waukon.
Honorary casketbearers were Dick Hermanson, Herb Dehli, Gordon Gilbertson, Bill Mathis, Cyril Larkin, Ordell Bjerke, Gladwin Anderson, Carlyle Kirkeberg, Don Easley, and Melvin Anderson. Casketbearers were David Allan Anderson, Mark Dehli, Gene and Allen Leiran, Bill Halvorson, Shane Monroe, Wayne Kelly, and Kurt Rathbun.

Waukon Standard
Page 2 Columns 2-3
12 Dec 2001
Vol 133 No 50