LOSEE, Earl R. 1924-2001

LOSEE, WALSTER, BARTELS

Posted By: County Coordinator
Date: 5/7/2011 at 14:42:19

EARL R. LOSEE

MASON CITY, IOWA - Earl R. Losee, 76, of 929 16th St. N.E., died Tuesday (Aug. 28, 2001) at Muse Norris Hospice Inpatient Unit.

Memorial services will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Friday at Trinity Lutheran Church, 213 N. Pennsylvania Ave., with the Rev. Kenneth Hatland officiating. Interment will be at 1 p.m. in Hillside Cemetery at Marble Rock, with military rites conducted by the Gallagher American Legion Post No. 208 of Rockwell.

There will be no visitation. The body will be cremated.

Major Erickson Funeral Home, 111 N. Pennsylvania Ave., Mason City, is in charge of arrangements.

Memorials may be given to the Earl R. Losee Memorial Fund or Hospice of North Iowa.

Earl Losee was born on November 1, 1924, near Marble Rock, the son of Vern and Jane (Walster) Losee. He received his education in country schools and graduated from Marble Rock High School in 1942.

He entered the U.S. Army Air Force in 1943, receiving his training in Texas, South Dakota, Arizona and Nevada. Earl flew numerous combat missions as a radio-gunner in a B24 Liberator Bomber against the Japanese fortifications in New Guinea, Borneo, Formosa (Taiwan) China, Vietnam and the Philippines. He was awarded two bronze stars on his Asiatic Pacific Ribbon and the Air Medal for Meritorious Achievement while in flight. He also received the Philippine Liberation Medal with one bronze star. After his discharge in 1945, he returned to Marble Rock.

He married Evelyn Bartels May 24, 1947, in Charles City. Earl operated meat processing plants in Sheffield, Algona and Rockwell for many years, retiring in 1993.

He was past commander of the Sheffield Legion, vice president and charter member of the Sheffield Lions Club and director of the Sheffield Community Club. He was also past school board member, Rockwell Swaledale, commander Rockwell American Legion and past president of Rockwell Chamber of Commerce. He moved to Mason City in 1991.

Earl is survived by three daughters, Carolyn Uhlenhake, of Urbandale, Diane Fortsch of Denton, Texas, Tamara Petermeier and her husband, Mark, of Weatherford, Texas; two sons, Earl Dean Losee and his wife, Cindy, of Nixa, Mo., and Michael Losee of Mason City; 12 grandchildren, Trent, Travis, Tracy, Corey, Peter, Molly, Toby, Sarah, Brian, Austin, Tyler and Joshua; seven great-grandchildren, Shayna, Spencer, Chelsea, Jenna, Hanna, Brendon and Anthony; and a sister-in-law, Ardis Lockwood, of Charles City.

Earl was preceded in death by his parents; his wife, Evelyn, in 1999; brothers, Claude and Donavon; daughter, Marilyn; son, Roger; and granddaughter, Katie.

Major Erickson Funeral Home & Crematory, (641) 423-0924.

[ Globe Gazette -- ncigs.org ]