Harpenau, Isidore 1918-2008

HARPENAU, DETERS, COLLING

Posted By: Mary Holub, volunteer (email)
Date: 10/16/2008 at 12:48:57

From: Le Mars Daily Sentinel, October 16, 2008

Isidore Harpenau, 90, of Remsen, died Tuesday, Oct. 14, 2008, at Happy Siesta Health Care Center in Remsen.

Isidore Harpenau was born Feb. 11, 1918, in Le Mars, the son of Frank and Bernadine (Deters) Harpenau.

Isidore was raised in the Le Mars area and received his education at St. Joseph Catholic School in Le Mars. He was then engaged in farming with his brothers in the Le Mars and Remsen area. On June 10, 1941, he married Rita Colling at Granville. They made their home near Le Mars where they were engaged in farming for two years. They then moved to near Remsen to farm.

Over the years he also drove gas truck, drove school bus, operated his own roller mill truck, and after working for 17 years for Plymouth County, in their road maintenence department, he retired. They moved into Remsen in 1982 and in 1985 he began working part time for Klein Reality and also began taking care of the J. C. sign in Remsen.

Rita died April 2, 2000. In March 2007 he became a resident of Happy Siesta.

He was a member of St. Mary Catholic Church in Remsen, Catholic Order of Foresters, Knights of Columbus, of which he was grand Knight form 1972 to 1974. He loved it when the unexpected good things happened during the day, going to see someone and someone stopping. He loved to play cards and always knew what cards you had left in your hand. He loved to play horseshoes, go to the casino, go fishing, traveling, getting the mail and always had a positive attitude.

Survivors include six daughters and and four sons: Madonna and Lynn Nuebel of Le Mars, Nancy and Leon Peterson of Bloomington, Minn., Sara and Dennis Gralapp, of Remsen, Ken and Jane of Wahoo, Neb., Ned and Jane of Remsen, Steve and Lynda of Omaha, Neb., Joe and Marcia of Remsen, Grace and Jim Rutan of Port Charlotte, Fla., Susan and Randy McCall of Ord, Neb., Colleen and Jack Meyer of St. Paul, Minn.; one son-in-law, Robert Layeux of Rockford, Ill.; 32 grandchildren; 35 great-grandchildren; one sister, Rita Kolbeck of Le Mars; four sisters-in-law, Florence Smid of Granville, Agnes and her husband Richard LaBahn of Merrill, Sister Mary Ramona O.S.F. of Dubuque, and Shirley Harpenau of Remsen.

He was preceded in death by a son, Mark, when a young child; one daughter, Julie Layeux; six, brothers, Jack, Henry, Leo, Joseph, Tony and Al; three sisters, Mary Kolbeck, Philomena Schwartz and Evelyn Miller.

Funeral services will be at 10:30 a.m. Friday at St. Mary Catholic Church with the Rev. William McCarthy officiating. Burial will be in St. Mary Cemetery in Remsen.

Friends may call anytime after 2 p.m. tody (Thursday). There will be a parish rosary at 3 p.m., a vigil prayer service at 7:30 p.m., and a rosary at 8 p.m. by the Catholic Order of Foresters and Knights of Columbus, all at the Fisch Funeral Home in Remsen.

Casketbearers will be his grandsons.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to St. Mary Catholic School in Remsen.