Frances L. (Westhoff) Besler 1920-2005

BESLER, GEISTKEMPER, WESTHOFF, SIEPMAN, DILLON, HAGEMANN, KOELKER

Posted By: cheryl moonen (email)
Date: 2/9/2015 at 21:16:03

Telegraph Herald (Dubuque, IA) - Friday, January 14, 2005

FARLEY, Iowa - Frances L. Besler, 84, of 404 Superior St., Farley, died at 12:05 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 12, 2005, at Mercy Medical Center-Dyersville.

Services will be at 10:30 a.m. Saturday at St. Joseph's Catholic Church, Farley, with the Rev. John P. Ptacek officiating. Burial will be in St. Joseph's Cemetery. Friends may call from 2 to 8 p.m. today at Reiff Funeral Home, Farley, where there will be a wake service at 4 p.m. and the Farley American Legion and the Farley Volunteer Fire Department will meet in body at 7 p.m.

She was born on Aug. 2, 1920, in Petersburg, daughter of Herman and Elizabeth (Geistkemper) Westhoff. She married Frank J. Besler on Dec. 27, 1941, at Ss. Peter and Paul Catholic Church, Petersburg; he preceded her in death on Jan. 29, 1988.

She received her education at Ss. Peter and Paul School in Petersburg.

She was a member of the Farley Garden Club and St. Joseph's Parish, Farley, and its Altar and Rosary Society.

Frances was a very special mother, grandmother and great-grandmother, who will be missed dearly.

Surviving are three daughters, Suzanne (Jim) Siepman, of Arlington Heights, Ill., Darlene (Mark) Dillon, of Lakewood, Colo., and Diane (Kevin) Hagemann, of Dyersville; five sons, Don (Cooie) Besler, of Dubuque, John (Nancy) Besler, Ken (Darlene) Besler and Jim Besler, all of Farley, and Mark (Diana) Besler, of Iowa City; 19 grandchildren and 17 great-grandchildren; two sisters, Leona Koelker, of Petersburg, and Sally Wegmann, of Dyersville; and two brothers, Roland (Catherine) Westhoff, of Dyersville, and Leo (Mary) Westhoff, of Manchester.

She also was preceded in death by her parents; a grandson, Joshua Dillon, on Sept. 23, 2001; six brothers; and four sisters.

A Frances L. Besler Memorial Fund has been established.