Homan, Francis C. "Dutch" 1923-2007

HOMAN, SANEM, LANZENDORF

Posted By: Mary Holub, volunteer (email)
Date: 3/11/2008 at 10:54:53

ALTON, Iowa -- Francis C. "Dutch" Homan, 84, of Alton died Monday, Oct. 29, 2007, at Avera McKennan Hospital in Sioux Falls, S.D.

Services will be 10:30 a.m. Friday at St. Mary Catholic Church in Alton, with the Rev. John Vakulskas and Monsignor Nicholas J. Ruba officiating. Burial will be in St. Mary Cemetery at Alton. Visitation will be after 5 p.m. Thursday, with a 5:30 p.m. rosary by the Knights of Columbus and a vigil prayer service at 7:30 p.m., at the church. Arrangements are under the direction of Fisch Funeral Home in Remsen, Iowa.

Francis "Dutch" Homan was born Jan. 17, 1923, in Remsen, Iowa, the son of John P. and Martha (Sanem) Homan. Dutch was raised in the Alton area and received his education in both the rural school system and St. Mary's Academy in Alton from which he graduated in 1940. He was then employed by his uncle at Homan's Department Store in Alton. On March 18, 1943, he entered the U.S. Army and served in the European Theater during World War II, where he was wounded and received three Bronze Stars and a Purple Heart. He was honorably discharged Nov. 19, 1945. He then returned to Alton and resumed working at the Homan Grocery Store.

On Sept. 9, 1947, he married Jane Lanzendorf at Oyens, Iowa. They made their home in Alton and in 1956, they purchased the grocery store, which they operated until Dutch retired and sold the store in 1985. In July 2007, they moved to Waterford at All Saints in Sioux Falls.

He was a member of St. Mary Catholic Church, Knights of Columbus of Granville, Iowa, and American Legion Post 200 of Alton, where he was sergeant at arms for the color guard. He served on the Alton Volunteer Fire Company from November 1954 to March 1980 and during that time there was a period he served as fire chief. He was active in his church and also in his community. The couple loved to golf, bowl, dance and travel.

Survivors include his wife, Jane of Sioux Falls; two daughters, Bev and her husband, Dick Casey of Sioux Falls, and Mary Nurre of West Des Moines, Iowa; three sons and their wives, Paul and Glenda of Le Mars, Iowa, Rick and Deb of Omaha, and Jim and Ann of Ida Grove, Iowa; 15 grandchildren; and two great-grandsons.

He was preceded in death by his parents; a son, John, when a young child; a granddaughter, Megan Casey, when a young child; a sister, Lorraine and her husband, Kenny Shannon; and two brothers, Robert "Jim" and Alvin "Bud" and his wife, Celine.

Pallbearers will be Ryan Casey, Andy, Nate, Corey, Travis and Jarod Homan. Honorary pallbearers will be Jay and Mike Evan, Carl Hentges, Arnold and Milo Streff.

~Source: The Sioux City Journal, Oct. 31, 2007