George L. Ansel, the Happy Hungarian 1919-2000

ANSEL, BURKE, CONANT, RENSEL, BURKE, STADLER, GIERENS

Posted By: Cheryl Locher Moonen (email)
Date: 12/30/2015 at 17:07:59

George L. Ansel, the Happy Hungarian, 80, of Yuma, Ariz., and Centralia, Wash., formerly of Dubuque, died after a courageous battle with cancer, Saturday, Jan. 1, 2000, at Yuma Regional Medical Center.

Memorial services and burial will be held at 1 p.m. Monday in Mueller Memorial Chapel at Linwood Cemetery, Dubuque, where friends may call after noon Monday. Military rites were accorded in Yuma. The Behr Funeral Home, 1491 Main St., Dubuque, is in charge of local arrangements.

He graduated from Dubuque Senior High School in 1938. He was a lifetime member of the Fraternal Order of the Elks of Centralia, a former member and commander of the Veterans of Foreign Wars of Centralia; and a World War II naval survivor of Pearl Harbor. He was an avid musician, who played the accordion and various other instruments in bands such as Razz Matazz, the Barn Dance Circuit in the Midwest and 20 years with the Cascade Mountaineers in Oregon, Washington, Arizona, and Southern California, warming the hearts of many.

Surviving are his wife of 29 years, Gene (Burke) Ansel; two daughters, Terri (David) Conant, of Steilacoom, Wash., and Cheri (James) Rensel, of Tempe, Ariz.; a son, Mike (Linda) Burke, of Pahrump, Nev.; six grandchildren and three great-grandchildren; a sister, Emily (Jake) Stalder, of Cottage Grove, Ore.; a brother, Hugo (Mary) Ansel, of Dubuque; a sister-in-law, Ruby Ansel, of Dubuque; and numerous nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Fred Sr. and Marie Ansel; two sisters, Josephine Ansel and Minnie (Delos) Gierens; two brothers, Charles Ansel and Fred Ansel Jr.; and a sister-in-law, Doris (Fred) Ansel.

A George Ansel Memorial Fund has been established.

Telegraph Herald (Dubuque, IA) - Sunday, January 16, 2000