Haverkamp, Leo Martin 1910-2009

HAVERKAMP, BERKS, FREKING, AMICK

Posted By: Mary Holub, volunteer (email)
Date: 9/8/2009 at 22:09:10

From: Le Mars Daily Sentinel, September 8, 2009

Leo Martin Haverkamp, 98, formerly of Fort Dodge and Remsen, died Thursday Sept. 3, 2009, at Grace Home in Graceville, Minn.

Leo was the eighth of 10 children born to Frank and Katherine (Berks) Haverkamp. Leo was born Sept. 18, 1910, on the family farm south of Remsen, which he purchased in 1948. On Jan. 15, 1935 he married Mary T. Freking of Le Mars.

He continued farming and raising purebred shorthorn cattle until 1958, when the family moved to Fort Dodge, where he was the owner and manager of the North Central Telephone Company. Leo sold the company in 1978, and retired three years later. Mary died Oct. 1, 1991.

Leo and Mary will be remembered for their volunteer work, especially their mission to Tanzania, Africa in 1978, to install a telephone system for the Catholic Mission there. Leo's work in the telephone industry afforded him and his wife Mary the opportunity to travel as a People-to-People goodwill ambassador to 35 countries, including Russia, China, and the Holy Land.

In addition to playing volleyball in his spare time, Leo liked to do woodworking and restoration of furniture.

On June 18, 1994, Leo married Nora Amick of Fort Dodge. In 2006 Leo and Nora moved to Risen Son, a retirement community in Council Bluffs. Nora died Jan. 21, 2007. Leo moved to Graceville, Minn., in March 2009.

Leo was an active member of Corpus Christi parish in Fort Dodge, serving as altar boy and lector for the 6 a.m. weekday masses for more than 30 years, where he was honored as being "The World's Oldest Altar Boy." He served as chairman of the Marian Home Board and oversaw the building of the Home.

He was a director on the Kiwanis Club Board, and advisor on the Big Brothers and Big Sisters Board, a district director for the NW Iowa District Order of Catholic Order of Foresters, a Fourth Degree member of the Knights of Columbus, a member of a Cursillo group, chairman of the Pioneer Exhibit of Telephone Equipment at the Iowa State Fair, a co-chairman of the 1984 Diocesan Development Program of the Sioux City Diocese, a recipient of the Governor's Volunteer Award for his work with the Iowa Radio Reading Information Service for the Blind. He was active in Home, Inc. to help low income people acquire homes, and he managed the warehouse of furniture for needy people.

Leo is survived by his and Mary's six children: his daughter, Delores and her husband Thomas J. Nealon of Omaha, Neb., his daughter, Sr. Janet Haverkamp, OSF of Dubuque, his daughter Joanne and her husband Arthur D. Abel of Graceville, Minn., his son Leon and his wife Kathy Haverkamp of Tuttle, N.D., his daughter, Lois and her husband David Dann of Peru, Neb., and his son, Mark and his wife Audrey Haverkamp of Underwood; 12 grandchildren; 24 great-grandchildren; two stepgranddaughters; one stepgreat-grandchild; his wife Nora Amick-Haverkamp's children: Jerry and his wife Janet Amick of Vernon Hills, Ill., John and his wife Joane Amick of Oelwein, Jim Amick of Wichita, Kan., Judy and her husband Stan Boyle of Dakota Dunes, S.D., Janet and her husband Don Erpelding of Ankeny; 18 stepgrandchildren; 17 stepgreat-grandchildren, two sisters-in-law, Mercedes Haverkamp of Remsen and Therese Freking of Le Mars; and one brother-in-law Elmer Willenberg.

Leo was preceded by his parents and all of his brothers and sisters.

Funeral services were at 10:30 a.m., today (Tuesday) at St. Mary Catholic Church in Remsen, with the Rev. William McCarthy officiating. Visitation was after 2 p.m. Monday, with a rosary at 3 p.m., a vigil prayer service at 7:30 p.m. and a Knights of Columbus and Catholic Order of Foresters rosary at 8 p.m., all at Fisch Funeral Home & Monument in Remsen.