Kaldenberg, Leon H.

KALDENBERG, LECOCQ, VAN GILST

Posted By: volunteer (email)
Date: 7/18/2005 at 20:14:53

Funeral services for Leon H. Kaldenberg, 77, of Lynnville were held January 2 at the Lynnville Friends Church in Lynnville, the Rev. Peter Schuler officiated and Rev. Cindy Norman, assisted. Music was provided by Mrs. Bernice Smith, organist and Mr. David Vander Linden, soloist.

Committal Service was at the Oakwood Cemetery in Pella, the Rev. Roger Punt, presided. Casket bearers were Ronald Kaldenberg, Marion Kaldenberg, Melvin Dop, Kyle Steenhoek, Kevin Steenhoek, Travis Turnbull and Seamus Turnbull.

Leon Hubert Kaldenberg was born on November 16, 1925, near Monroe. He was the youngest of two children born to Hubert and Johanna LeCocq Kaldenberg. Leon's family moved to the Sully area when he was ten years old. There he attended the Dairy Grove country grade school. Leon graduated from Pella High School with the class of 1944. As a young lad he began working on the family farm, helping his father, and continued to do this work as a career his entire lifetime. He was actively involved in the Farmer's Coop and was interested in issues related to soil conservation, experimental seed varieties, weed and disease control, and other crop and livestock innovations. Leon was passionate about his desire to further his education, a trait demonstrated with great ambition.

In the late 1950's he attended Central College in Pella completing two years of undergraduate studies. Leon then attended the University of Iowa in Iowa City, and graduated in 1964 with a degree in Pharmacy. Later he continued his studies at Iowa State University in Ames, graduating in 1969 with a degree in Life Science. After earning these degrees, he went on to study law at Drake University in Des Moines. All this time Leon continued his farming career near Sully.

On October 28, 1976, he and Wilma Lucile Van Gilst were married at the Lynnville Friends Church and made their home in Lynnville. They attended two World's Fairs, the Republican National Convention in 1979 and President Ronald Reagan's inauguration in Washington D.C. in 1980. They also enjoyed a 16-day tour of the Northwest and British Columbia in 1986.

He was presently a member of the Lynnville Friends Church. Leon also was interested and involved in local and national politics. He had served a term on the Jasper County Zoning Committee, the Lynnville-Sully School Board and was a candidate for the Jasper County Board of Supervisors. Leon semi-retired from farming in 1995. Then on December 29, 2002, Leon passed away peacefully at the Pella Regional Health Center in Pella.

He is survived by his wife of 26 years, Wilma L. Kaldenberg of Lynnville; two step-children, Kyle Steenhoek and Lila Turnbull both of Pella; six step-grandchildren and three step-great-grandchildren. Of his original family Leon leaves his sister, Mrs. Emma Louise Dennis of Columbus, Ohio; and her two children. Of his wife Wilma's family he leaves three sisters-in-law and spouses: Dorothy Vander Linden of West Des Moines; Tana Mae and Bernie Van Roekel of Pella; and Bernice and Noel Dodge of St. Louis, Missouri; along with several other nieces and nephews and their families.

He was preceded in death by his parents and a brother-in-law, Orville Dennis.

Arrangements were handled by Van Dyk-Duven Funeral Home in Pella.

Memorials may be made to the Lynnville Friends Church or to Hospice of Pella.

The Pella Chronicle, January 13, 2003