Joseph E. Kelchen Jr., 1921-2007

KELCHEN, KLOCKER, FUNKE, HOEGER, MASSEY, GEISTKEMPER, WEYDERT, KOPPES, GROSS, OSTWINKLE, FEILER, TURNIS, GREENWOOD

Posted By: cheryl moonen (email)
Date: 2/23/2015 at 21:13:12

Telegraph Herald (Dubuque, IA) - Sunday, August 5, 2007

FARLEY, Iowa - Joseph E. Kelchen Jr., 86, of 8340 N. Pleasant Grove Road, Farley, died at 3:28 p.m. Friday, Aug. 3, 2007, at Mercy Medical Center-Dubuque.

Services will be at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday at St. Joseph's Catholic Church, Farley, with the Rev. Dennis Cain officiating. Burial will be in

St. Joseph's Cemetery, Farley. Friends may call from 2 to 8 p.m. Monday at Reiff Funeral Home, Dyersville, where there will be a wake service at 4 p.m. and the Farley Fire Department will meet at 7 p.m. Due to the renovations in progress at the Reiff Funeral Home in Farley, the visitation is being held at the Dyersville facility.

He was born on June 2, 1921, in Farley, son of Joseph E. and Mary (Klocker) Kelchen Sr. He married Lucille Funke on April 10, 1945, at St. Paul's Catholic Church, Worthington.

He received his education in the former St. Joseph's and Farley rural country schools.

Joe farmed in the rural Farley area until his retirement. He loved the land and was a great steward of it.

Joe was a loving husband, father and grandfather. He was very proud of his family.

He was a member of St. Joseph's Parish in Farley.

Surviving are his wife, Lucille Kelchen, of Farley; three sons, Larry (Carol) Kelchen and Richard (Norma) Kelchen, both of Farley, and Steve Kelchen, of Dubuque; a daughter, Jayne (Mark) Hoeger, of Farley; eight grandchildren, Julie (Mike) Massey, Dave (Jill) Kelchen, Molly (Dave) Hoefer, Sarah Kelchen, Craig (Jenny) Kelchen, Marty (Jessie) Kelchen, Michelle (Jeff) Geistkemper and Matt (Amanda) Hoeger; eight great-grandchildren; five sisters, Lucille Till, of Cascade, Delores Weydert, of Dubuque, Helen Koppes, of Monmouth, Ella Gross, of Cascade, and Mary Ostwinkle, of Epworth; and a sister-in-law, Rachel Kelchen, of Dyersville.

He was preceded in death by his parents; two brothers, Edward and Raymond; and four sisters, Colletta Feiler, Alvina Kelchen, Marcella Greenwood and Norine Turnis.

A Joseph E. Kelchen Memorial Fund has been established.

Online condolences may be left for the family at www.

reifffuneralhomeinc.com.