Duane R. Novak

CHURCHILL, NOVAK, BALCAR, MASTERS, NEWTON, SMITH, WENSEL, WRIGHT, RIES, SAUER, LEHMAN, JOHNSON, SCHUMACHER, HENDRY, VAUGHN, PIERSON, NEWTON

Posted By: dbeier (email)
Date: 4/11/2007 at 15:11:13

Duane R. Novak
ROWLEY - Duane R. Novak, 76, of rural Rowley, died Wednesday, Jan. 17, 2007, at the Zapata Medical Clinic in Zapata, Texas, following a sudden illness. Funeral services will be 11 a.m. Thursday, Jan. 25, at the First United Methodist Church in Independence, with the Rev. Dennis Bailey and the Rev. Julie McCullough officiating. Burial will be in the Brandon Cemetery. Friends may call from 3 until 8 p.m. Wednesday at the White Funeral Home in Independence, where a military memorial service begins at 7 p.m.
He was born Aug. 5, 1930, in Cleburne, Kan., the son of Frank Wesley and Grace Marie (Churchill) Novak. In April of 1950, he and the former Betty Ann Balcar were married in Cedar Rapids. They were later divorced. On Aug. 21, 1976, he and the former Verda Dolores Masters Newton were married at the Little Brown Church in Nashua.
Mr. Novak served in the U.S. Army during the Korean Conflict. He was employed at Penickcon Ford, Dearborn Brass, and Iowa Manufacturing before purchasing the Novak Sawmill in Brandon. He operated the sawmill from 1962 until he retired in 2003. He also farmed in the Alburnette area from 1956 until 1960, and in the Brandon area from 1960 until the present.
Mr. Novak enjoyed playing cards, gardening, spending time with family and friends, farming, fishing, hunting, watching sports and old westerns, and spending a couple months during the winter in Texas.
He is survived by his wife, Dolores; seven daughters, Debora (George) Smith, Cheryl(Rick) Wensel, and Carolyn (Doug) Wright, all of Cedar Rapids, Dawn Novak of Brandon, Lynn (Lyle) Ries of Alta Vista, Annette (Ray) Sauer of Bondurant, and Denise (Doug) Lehman of Rowley; and five sons, Wayne (Susan) Novak of Central City, James Newton of Ely, Nev., Michael (Pam) Newton of Elgin, David Newton of McKinney, Texas, and Andrew (Tiffany) Newton of Las Vegas, He is also survived by 32 grandchildren, 21 great grandchildren; five sisters, Dorothy Johnson of Olsburg, Kan., Betty Schumacher Of Wamego, Kan., Cleo (Don) Hendry of Topeka, Kan., Ruth (Jerry) Vaughn of Frankfort, Kan., and Wendy (Eugene) Pierson of Meriden, Kan.; and two brothers, John (Lois) Novack of Marion and Pete (Jan) Novak of Urbana.
He was preceded, in death by his parents, two, brothers, Harold Novak and Frank Novak, Jr. (in infancy), and one granddaughter, Monica Newton.