Rev. FRANCIS J. VALLASTER

VALLASTER

Posted By: Mary Durr (email)
Date: 12/31/2002 at 10:36:02

Rev. FRANCIS J. VALLASTER

The Reverend Francis J. Vallaster died Wednesday afternoon, June 26, at Dubuque. The Most Rev. George J. Biskup was celebrant of the solemn pontifical funeral mass at Sacred Heart Church, Dubuque, on Saturday, June 29, 10:00 a.m., with burial at Mount Calvary, Dubuque.

Rev. Vallaster, who had served as pastor of St. Bridget's Church in Postville for 18 years until his retirement on Wednesday, November 7, 1962, had resided at 2170 Hale St., Dubuque.

Rev. Vallaster was born in Dubuque on March 4, 1885. He attended St. Joseph's College, now Loras College, and graduated from the St. Paul Seminary at St. Paul, Minnesota. He was ordained by Archbishop Heffron of Winona, Minnesota on June 8, 1910.

He was assistant at St. Joseph's Church, Bellevue and St. Peter and Paul's Church, Petersburg, and became pastor at St. Donatus in 1914. Leaving there in 1931 he went to Raymond until 1940, and to Holy Cross until 1944. On Sunday, March 12, 1944, the Rt. Rev. Msgr. M. J. Thiltgen, D. D., then dean of the Ossian Deanery (now retired) presided at installation ceremonies during which the Rev. Vallaster became pastor of St. Bridget's

He observed the Golden Jubilee of his ordination on Monday, June 20, 1960.

Postville Herald newspaper clipping, hand dated 1963, from my mother's obituary collection.