Mrs. HARLAN (Frances Roberta Thornton) HARNACK 1920-2002

ENTWISLE, THORNTON, HARNACK, HINMAN, LIVINGOOD, GUNDERSON, PIERCE, TRIPP, SCHWIETERT

Posted By: Volunteer
Date: 5/12/2005 at 06:35:25

Funeral services for Frances Harnack were held Friday, February 1, 2002, at 10:30 A.M. in St. Paul Lutheran Church at Postville, Iowa. The Reverend James Allison officiated. Special music was provided by organist, Levi Livingood and soloist, Christine Enyart.

Casket Bearers were: Rick and Renee Gunderson; Laurie Harnack and Brian Dahl; Tom Harnack and Kandi Carpenter; Susan and Bob Pierce; Bill and Peggy Harnack.

Honorary Casket Bearers were: Ray and Dorothy Suckow; Daryl and Norma Sander; Stuart and Cindy Schultz; Lyle and Beverly Zieman; Jack and Ardis Dibble.

The Schutte Funeral Service of Postville was in charge of arrangements. Burial was in the Postville Cemetery.

Frances Roberta Harnack, the daughter of Clarence and Martha Entwisle Thornton, was born February 9, 1920, near Forest Mills, Iowa. She passed away Tuesday, January 29, 2002, in the Good Samaritan Center at Postville, Iowa. She had reached the age of 81 years, 11 months, and 20 days.

She was baptized March 26, 1939 and confirmed April 2, 1939, both by the Reverend Frederick R. Ludwig in St. Paul Lutheran Church at Postville, Iowa. Frances received her education in the Egbert School in Allamakee County.

On January 11, 1939 she was married to Harlan Henry Harnack. To this union three children were born. The couple farmed in the Castalia and Postville areas. When they retired they moved to their present home on Grandview Drive in Postville.

Frances enjoyed traveling with her husband, Harlan. She liked to quilt, and work puzzles, and she usually ended her day with a hand of solitaire.

She is preceded in death by her parents, her husband, Harlan, who died September 15, 1994, a granddaughter, Patricia Harnack, and six brothers, Ross Thornton and his wife, Ora; William Thornton; George Thornton; Lloyd Thornton; Henry Thornton and his wife, Edna; Vern Thornton and his wife, Blanch; two sisters, Margaret Thornton, Ruth and her husband, Harry Hinman, and a brother-in-law, Lynn Livingood.

Surviving are two sons, Clifford and his wife, Donna, of Postville, and Marlin of Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin; a daughter, Judy Harnack of Postville; five grandchildren, Renee and her husband, Rick Gunderson of Castalia, Laurie Harnack and her fiance, Brian Dahl of Ossian, Tom and his fiance, Kandi Carpenter of Luana, Susan and her husband, Bob Pierce of Belmont, WI, Bill and his wife, Peggy of Monona; 12 great grandchildren, Carrie and Tricia Gunderson, Nick Dahl, Mario Hernandez, Zackery, Meranda, Alisha, and Kisha Harnack, Lexie Tripp, Cody Schwietert, Ryan Roth and Chase Harnack. She is also survived by one sister, Daisy Livingood of Waukon, two sisters-in-law, Dorleen Thornton of Waukon and LaVanda Thornton of Waterloo, two brothers-in-law, Merlin Harnack and his wife, LaVila, of Postville, and Milo Harnack and his wife, Ruth of Webb, IA, and several nieces and nephews.

Frances was a member of St. Paul Lutheran Church and the Women of the ELCA, in which she served as a Group Leader. She also served as a leader for the Bloomfield Busy Bees. Frances was also active in the Big Four Fair, the Castalia KEWS, the Bloomfield Historical Society and the Postville Senior Citizens organization.

Postville Herald-Leader newspaper clipping
- contributed by Mary Durr