Stanley E. Kovar, 04 Sept 1924 - 11 Sept 2015

KOVAR, CHERVENEY, WAUTERS, JACK, REIFENSTAHL, KOTOUC, MCKUSKER, HARDEN

Posted By: Sandy Ficken (email)
Date: 10/26/2015 at 15:47:59

Stanley Kovar, 91

Funeral service for Stanley E. Kovar, 91, Victor, was held at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, Sept. 15, at the Smith Funeral Home, Victor. He died Friday, Sept. 11, 2015, at Rose Haven Care Center, Marengo.

Burial was in the Victor Memorial Cemetery.

Memorials may be made to the Victor Volunteer Fire Department or Victor American Legion and sent in care of Smith Funeral Home, P.O. Box 485, Victor, Iowa 52347.

Stanley E. Kovar was born Sept. 4, 1924, west of Blairstown, the fourth son of Philip and Anna Cherveney Kovar. He attended a one room school house and graduated from the eighth grade at age 13.

In 1943, he was drafted from Benton County into the United States Army and was stationed in Wales. On June 6, he boarded the landing craft for his role in the D-Day invasion of France on the beaches of Normandy. He survived the attack and became a 1st Scout in the 9th Infantry. He endured missions throughout St Lo, Liege, Brussels and Germany. He has told his survival stories to many listeners over the years. During his time in the service, he was wounded in battle and was awarded the honored Purple Heart. He remained in active duty for six months after the war, so family men could return home first, and worked as a cook in Cherbourg, France.

He returned home and purchased a sawmill and some timber with his brother. He married Elsie Wauters Oct. 30, 1947, and the couple began farming near Victor, where they had two children. The family still operates this farm. The couple helped with Victor dances and called bingo numbers for many years on Sunday nights.

Stanley was very proud to have served his country and enjoyed sharing his stories. Some were too difficult to share. Recently, he was honored as a 70-year member of the American Legion. One of his proudest accomplishments was publishing actual war stories from Iowa County’s own veterans serving during World War II and the Korean War.

Kovar is survived by one daughter, Linda (Mervin) Jack, Victor; one son, Lee (Lois) Kovar, Victor; his grandchildren, Sherry (Mike) Reifenstahl, Neal (Cara) Jack, Sheila (Mark) Kotouc, Stan (Gaby) Kovar and Mark Kovar (Karly McKusker); eight great-grandchildren, Kayla and Hailey Jack, Ryan and Matt Reifenstahl, Garrett, Brooke and William Kotouc and Charlotte Kovar; his “other son,” Mike Harden, and many cousins and friends.

He was preceded in death by his wife, in 1989; his parents and his brothers, Milo, Leonard and Paul.

Journal Tribune, 23 Sept 2015, pg 9
The Gazette, 13 Sept 2015, 14a [abbreviated]