STARBUCK, Leonard Milton 1923-2002

STARBUCK, MICHAEL, KAY

Posted By: K.L. Kittleson (email)
Date: 1/5/2009 at 14:07:14

ORCHARD, IOWA - Leonard Milton Starbuck, 78, of Orchard, [Mitchell county, Iowa,] died Friday (May 24, 2002) at the V.A. Hospital in Iowa City.

Memorial services will be held at 1 p.m. Friday at the Champion-Bucheit Funeral Home, 702 State St. in Osage, with the Rev. Robert Melhorn officiating. Inurnment will be at the Oakwood Cemetery in Floyd with military rites by the Osage American Legion Post 278 and the Osage V.F.W. Post 7920.

Gathering of friends will be before memorial services, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Friday at Champion-Bucheit Funeral Home.

Leonard was born Oct. 21, 1923, near Bassett, the son of Vernon and Myrtle (Michael) Starbuck.

He attended country schools and while in the third grade moved to Floyd, where he grew up on a farm six miles northwest of Floyd.

He enlisted in the Navy during World War II and joined the "Armed Guard." He spent most of the war in the Pacific Ocean and Indian Ocean, transporting supplies and goods to the front, which resulted in him stopping at many ports throughout the Pacific Islands, Australia, India and other countries. He was discharged in 1946.

Leonard was a member of the Osage VFW Post 7920, the Osage American Legion Post 278 and a former member of the Orchard American Legion Post 641.

Leonard worked as a machinist and for a number of years as a journeyman machinist from Minneapolis, making Navy hardware and parts for the Navy 5-inch guns. He then spent several years in the spacecraft industry in research and development for Aero Jet General in Sacramento, Calif., working on rocket engines for our first man into space.

In 1963, he moved back to Iowa and worked for White Farm in Charles City as a machinist, and retired in 1979 due to health reasons. He was a member of the International Association of Machinists Lodge No. 946 for several years, and for many years was a U.A.W. member in Local 1315 while at White Farm.

In March of 1948, he married Faith Ann Kay, the daughter of Chauncey and Mercedes Kay. They had seven children.

Leonard is survived by five daughters; Darlene Herman and her husband, George, of Nora Springs, Barbara Starbuck of Iowa City, Carolyn Neis and her husband, Mike, of Osage, Kathy Frazier, of Mason City, Karen Urell and her husband, Gary, of North Liberty; one son, Dennis Starbuck of Orchard; two sisters, Evelyn Rademacher and her husband, Eldon, of Floyd, and Faye Sargent, and her husband, Steve, of Floyd; 11 grandchildren, Brittany, Dylon, Rachel, Angela, David, Christopher, Raymond, Tracie, Bethany, Brandee and Brett; and eight great-grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by his parents; wife, Faith; son, Raymond, and brother, Bernard.

Champion-Bucheit Funeral Home, (641) 732-3706.

[Mason City Globe Gazette, May 26, 2002]