Paul D. Emerson

KIRSCH

Posted By: Carol (email)
Date: 12/27/2003 at 17:09:10

Paul D. Emerson, 72, of 911 North Dodge Street died Wednesday, December 24, 2003 at Mercy Hospital of cancer.

Funeral Mass will be celebrated Tuesday, December 30, 2003, 10AM at St. Mary’s Catholic Church with the Rev. Kenneth Kuntz officiating. Burial will be at St. Joseph’s Cemetery. Friends may call Monday from 4-8PM at Lensing Funeral and Cremation Service, Iowa City, where a rosary will be recited at 5:30PM and a Parish Vigil Service will be held at 7PM. A luncheon in the church hall will follow committal services. A memorial fund has been established.

On line condolences may be directed to www.lensingfuneral.com by clicking on obituary/condolences.

Paul was born July 29, 1931 in Madison County, Iowa the son of Darry and Cepha Kirsch Emerson. He married Reta Vrchoticky on June 1, 1949 at St. Wenceslaus Church in Iowa City. He was a 1949 graduate of Martinsdale High School in Martinsdale, Iowa.

Paul owned and operated Emerson Masonry for many years. He was a self-taught mason and was most content when he was laying brick and assisting family and friends with their projects. His masonry work on buildings and homes in Johnson County are his landmarks. He also did the masonry work at a hospital in Florida. Paul had received an award from the Iowa City Community School District for his
guidance and knowledge in assisting with the Student Home Construction Program.

His memberships included St. Mary’s Catholic Church, the Iowa City Homebuilders Association and he was a past member of the Moose and Eagle Lodges.

Paul had a strong work ethic and enjoyed fishing, hunting, mushrooming and feeding the birds and deer. He was happiest when surrounded by family and friends and enjoyed making people laugh.

He is survived by his wife Reta;
five children: Richard Emerson and his wife Carolyn, Catherine Greazel and her husband Francis, Susan Richerson and her husband Michael, Kirk Emerson and his wife Pamela all of Iowa City and Stephen Emerson and his wife Pamela, of Hills;
16 grandchildren: Christine, Kenny, Dennis, Nathan and his wife Roxanne, Jackie and her husband Matthew, Christopher and his wife Megan,
Anthony, Elizabeth, Kimberly and her husband Matthew, Chad and his wife Deanna, Michael Todd, Micahla, Andrew, Brandon, Danielle and her husband Dan and Shanna;
11great grandchildren; Zack, Casey, Derek, Lindsay, Peyton, Abby, Zack, Madelyn, Mollimarie, Jaxon, and one expectant great grandchild Gus;
two sisters: Rose McNeer and her husband Robert of Newton and Marjorie Singer and her husband Robert of Wilson, North Carolina;
two sisters-in-law: Hazel Yoder Wenman and her husband Arthur of Riverside and Dorothy Hightshoe of Mt. Carmel, Illinois.
Paul was preceded in death by his parents, one son Paul Jr., one grandson Richard Mark, two sisters Mary Hildebrand and Carroll Warhola, three brothers-in-law Sylvester, Robert and Donald and one sister-in-law Ethel Mason.