O'CONNELL, Elmer Leo 1933-2013
OCONNELL, GRAHLMAN, KELLEHER
Posted By: K.L. Kittleson
Date: 6/25/2014 at 13:48:10
Obituary for Elmer Leo O'Connell Jr.
Elmer Leo O'Connell Jr. age 79 of Fredericksburg, died Monday afternoon, May 13, 2013, at the 11th Street Chautauqua Guest Home in Charles City.
Funeral services will be held 10:30 a.m. Thursday, May 16, 2013, at the Peace United Church of Christ, Fredericksburg with Pastor Burt Williams officiating. Interment will be in Rose Hill Cemetery, Fredericksburg with Ronald Schutte, Steve Crowe, Ben Crowe, Nicholas Schutte, Jonathan Schutte, Andy Pett, Tom Milewsky and Dan Milewsky serving as pallbearers. Honorary pallbearers are Sam Milewsky and Matt Crowe.
Friends may greet the family 4:00 - 7:00 p.m. Wednesday, May 15, 2013, at the Hugeback - Johnson Funeral Home in Fredericksburg. Visitation continues an hour prior to the service at the church on Thursday.
Elmer Leo O’Connell was born July 13, 1933, in Fredericksburg, Iowa, the son of Elmer Leo and Opal Elisabeth (Grahlman) O’Connell, Sr. He received his education in rural country schools and was a great help to his parents on the farm in his youth.
In May of 1955, while at the former Main-Diner Restaurant, in New Hampton, he met Karen Ruth Kelleher who was working there. The couple married on November 5, 1955, at The Little Brown Church in Nashua. To this union five daughters were born. Elmer and Karen initially farmed northeast of New Hampton until 1963 and then moved to a farm southwest of Fredericksburg where they farmed another 38 years retiring into the town of Fredericksburg in 2005. Due to his health, Elmer became a resident of the 11th Street Chautauqua Guest Home in Charles City in 2005.
Elmer was a farmer-at-heart, choosing to work on the farm rather than most any other activity. He did spend some time hunting and fishing, playing cards and watching the Iowa Hawkeyes, but his main interest remained on the farm. He enjoyed walking in his fields and working the ground, doing everything the hard way. He also loved any time he was able to spend with his family, especially the grandchildren.
Survivors include his wife, Karen; five daughters, Pamela (Ronald) Schutte of Fredericksburg, Christine (Steve) Crowe of Lucas, Texas, Carol Pett of Waverly, Barbara O’Connell of Fredericksburg, Elaine (Dan) Milewsky of Watertown, Wisconsin; nine grandchildren, Heather (Steve) Fred, Nicholas (Staci) Schutte, Jonathan Schutte, Matthew Crowe, Benjamin Crowe, Andy (Michelle) Pett, Amanda Pett, Samuel Milewsky, Thomas O’Connell Milewsky; two great-grandchildren, Colleen Schutte, Michael Fred.
He was preceded in death by his parents, two brothers, Keith O’Connell and Kenneth O’Connell; two sisters, Joyce Kinsey and Marilyn Gitch.
Source: Hugeback Funeral Home website
Chickasaw Obituaries maintained by Lynn Diemer-Mathews.
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