Leona Eleanor (Klas) Althoff 1915-2013

KLAS, ROGERS, WESSELS, ALTHOFF, OBERBROECKLING, MORMANN, NACHTMAN, OPPELT, EDWARDS, COULTER, SPERATI, JACKMAN, SCHRANDT, MARCH, ASKLING, FERGUSON, ZUERCHER, ENGELKEN, FREKING, HENKELS, BORGERDING, HEILERS, RINIKER, LEIBOLD

Posted By: Cheryl Locher Moonen (email)
Date: 10/15/2015 at 11:14:47

NEW VIENNA, Iowa - Leona Eleanor Klas Althoff, 98, formerly of Dyersville and New Vienna, died peacefully Sunday, March 24, 2013, at Good Neighbor Home, Manchester, of complications of old age.

Services will be at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, March 27, at St. Boniface Catholic Church, New Vienna, with the Rev. Noah Diehm officiating. Burial will be in the church cemetery. Friends may call from 2 to 8 p.m. today at Kramer Funeral Home, Dyersville, where the St. Boniface Altar & Rosary Society will conduct a rosary at 4 p.m. and a vigil service will be at 7 p.m. Friends also may call from 8:30 to 9:30 a.m. Wednesday at the funeral home.

Leona was born on Feb. 4, 1915, the fifth of 11 children born to Henry F. and Wilhelmina (Oberbroeckling) Klas on the Klas farm north of New Vienna. After graduating from the eighth grade at St. Boniface School in New Vienna, she worked on the home farm, and later worked as a hired girl on farms around New Vienna.

She married Ted H. Althoff, son of Frank and Rose (Mormann) Althoff on Oct. 7, 1941, at St. Boniface Church in New Vienna. They lived in Dyersville until moving to New Vienna in 1943. She was a housewife and an office partner in Ted's electrical wiring business from 1945 until his death on March 1, 1982. At the request of the mayor in 1963, Leona started the tradition of the New Vienna Community Hall wedding dinner receptions, serving as head cook and planner until 1978. She also worked with Rosie Kruse's catering service at the Dubuque County Fairgrounds for weddings and banquets. She moved to Dyersville in 1982 and worked as a cook at the Senior Center until retiring in 1987. She moved to the Good Neighbor Home in March of 2010.

She was a member of St. Boniface Church in New Vienna and a lifelong member of the St. Boniface Altar and Rosary Society. While residing in Dyersville, she was an active member of the St. Francis Xavier Basilica Parish.

Leona will be remembered always for the guidance and support she gave her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren; her love of bingo, card games and visiting; and the satisfaction she found in preparing and serving delicious meals. Her excellent memory of more than 90 years of stories of people, places, events, and early farm life was appreciated by family and friends.

Surviving are her six children, Margie (Art) Nachtman, of Ryan, Fred (Joan) Althoff, of Robins, Mary Ellen Althoff, of Marion, Laurie (Craig) Rogers, of Rockford, Ill., Gary (Marilyn) Althoff, of Earlville, and Joyce (Mike) Wessels, of Rickardsville; 20 grandchildren, Kenny Nachtman, Dr. Jane (Ian Ferguson) Nachtman, Karen (Jim) Oppelt, Lisa (Dan) Edwards, Dennis (Sarah) Nachtman, Matt (Jill) Nachtman, Kristine (Matt) Coulter, Dr. Keri Althoff (Dr. C. John Sperati), Amy (Jen) Althoff, Erin Althoff, Nathan Althoff, Heather (Jamie) Jackman, Sarah (Steve) Schrandt, Kyle (Ashley) Rogers, Tammy (Earl) March, Shannon (Dee) Althoff, Josh Althoff, Brian (Amanda) Wessels, Wendy (Kyle) Askling and Anne Wessels; and great-grandchildren, Andy, Shane and Devon Nachtman, Jeremy and Thomas Ferguson, Madison Oppelt, Samantha, Rebecca and Kathyrn Edwards, Madeline, Abigail and Zachary Nachtman, Maximus and Layla Nachtman, Ella, Claire, Jackson and Bryn Coulter, Charleston Sperati, Declan Althoff, Michaela, Moira and Thomas Jackman, Alexa and Ryan Schrandt, Briana, Shelby and Anthony March, Aubrie and Emalynn Althoff, John, Luke, Matthew and Samantha Wessels; brothers and sisters-in-law, Emil and Elsie Althoff, of Earlville, and Mildred and Ben Zuercher, of Garber; five of her 80 first cousins, Agnes Klas, of New Vienna, Joe Engelken, of Manchester, Sister Marcan Freking, of Rochester, Minn., Margaret Henkels and Ann Mathias, both of Heron Lake, Minn.; and many nieces and nephews.

She also was preceded in death by a great-grandchild, Caitlin Schrandt; nine sisters, Mary (Ben) Borgerding, Alvina (Albert) Heilers, Rose (Stephen) Riniker, Irene (Charles) Leibold, and Loretta, Ida, Clotilda, Esther, and Martha Jane Klas; a brother, Elmer Klas; and brothers and sisters-in-law, Sylvester (Alice), Ambrose and James Althoff and Verna (John) Henkels.

Her family deeply appreciates the pastoral ministry of Cookie Scherrman, who tended to Leona's spiritual needs when she was no longer able to go to church and also at the Good Neighbor Home.

Telegraph Herald (Dubuque, IA) - Tuesday, March 26, 2013