Leo A. Franzen 1933-2007

SCHMITT, MOELLERS, NASS, FRANZEN, OBRIEN, HEMESATH, MCDANEL, LUBKA, MYRAH, BLONG, BOHR, LEICHTNAM

Posted By: N Wagner (email)
Date: 12/21/2007 at 19:00:16

A Funeral Mass for Leo A. Franzen, 74, of West Union, Iowa, was held Tuesday, Dec. 11, at Holy Name Catholic Church in West Union.

The Rev. Dale Rausch was the Mass celebrant. Jordan Franzen, Beth Moellers and Tony Moellers assisted as servers to Father Rausch.

Connie Kuennen was the lector, and Jason Moellers served as the Eucharistic minister. Bearing the Eucharistic gifts were Austin Franzen, Merri Franzen, Jennifer Lubka and Tyler Franzen. Sue McDonough provided the music.

Interment was in St. Francis DeSales Cemetery, Ossian. Casket bearers were Todd O'Brien, Nicholas Hemesath, Matthew Franzen, Mason McDanel, Jerome Franzen, Travis Franzen, Kevin O'Brien, and Anthony Samuelson.

Burnham-Wood Funeral Home, West Union, was in charge of arrangements.

Leo died Friday, Dec. 7, 2007, at University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, Iowa City, following a sudden illness.

Leo Albert Franzen, son of Michael and Clara (Schmitt) Franzen, was born Oct. 25, 1933, in St. Lucas. He was baptized and confirmed at St. Luke Catholic Church in St. Lucas and graduated from St. Luke's High School in 1951,

On Nov. 24, 1953, Leo was united in marriage with Helen Moellers at St. Francis DeSales Catholic Church in Ossian. Eleven children were born to this union. The couple began dairy farming in 1955 in the Waucoma and Hawkeye area.

In 1958 Leo became ill with farmer's lung disease, which forced him to quit farming. He then attended barber college in Cedar Rapids and became an apprentice in Union, Ia. Leo was the barber in Fort Atkinson for a short time, and for the last 25 years, until his death, he was a barber in West Union.

In 1966, the Franzens moved to the Hawkeye area; Leo was able to farm again and continued for 30 years.

Very active in his community and church, Leo had been Chief Ranger of the Catholic Order of Foresters, as well as District Vice Chief Ranger and trustee of Northeast Iowa Catholic Order of Foresters. He had been a member of the board of directors for the 4-Co. Market Corporation, Holy Name Parish Board of Religious Instruction, Holy Name Parish Council, and was the Grand Knight of the Knights of Columbus in West Union. Leo also was a member of the West Union Chamber of Commerce and West Union Planning and Zoning Commission.

Leo (Pappy) believed "It's better to laugh than to cry" and "Where there is a will, there is a way." He enjoyed hunting, fishing (especially with his grandchildren), playing cards, woodworking, and especially enjoyed a "GOOD PRANK."

Leo liked to display his hand-carved wooden farm implement toys at various places, including county fairs and Senior Citizens Centers because it brought back memories and much enjoyment to those who viewed them. For one entire summer, he displayed his toys at the Boone Historical Center and the Eastern Star Nursing Home. Leo donated many of his toys to area organizations and always made wooden gifts for his children and grandchildren at Christmastime.

Leo was also well-known for his 16,760-ft. gum-wrapper chain that he made.

Preceding Leo in death were his parents; his son, Alan, in 1999; a great-grandson, Robert Nass; a brother, Albert Franzen; three brothers-in-law, Leonard Blong, Mark Bohr and Tony Leichtnam; his niece, Kathy Fay; and two nephews, Don Leichtnam and David Moellers.

Those left to cherish Leo's memory are his wife, Helen; his children and spouses, Michael and Donna Franzen of Camden, Ark., Maggie and Dennis O'Brien of Elk Run Heights, Amy and Floyd Hemesath of Disputanta, Va., Brenda and Monte McDanel of Boone, Brian and Rose Franzen of Maquoketa, Bruce and Debbie Franzen of West Union, Lester Franzen of Brooklyn Park, Minn., Laura and Reggie Lubka of Postville, Carl and Nicole Franzen of Oskaloosa, Karen and Curt Myrah of Spring Grove, Minn.; daughter-in-law Kim Franzen of Fredericksburg.

Additional survivors include 35 grandchildren; 14 great-grandchildren; three brothers, LaVerne (Rosemary) Franzen of St. Lucas, Florian (Pat) Franzen of West Union, and Duane Franzen of Hawkeye; five sisters, Marcella Blong of St. Lucas, Anna Laura Leichtnam of Mason City, Edna Fay of Sumner, Clarene Humpal of Brentwood Tenn., and Lorrena Bohr of Waucoma; his sister-in-law Irene Franzen of St. Lucas; and 77 nieces and nephew.

Fayette County Union, December 11, 2007