Frederick Mark Varnum (1919-2008)

VARNUM, PANTENBURG, WESSMAN, KRAUSMAN, LIDD, MCWILLIAMS, IVES, KALKHOFF, RICKE, WHITE, GUTHRIE, GARFIELD, NOEL, WESSMAN

Posted By: Ames Tribune
Date: 4/19/2008 at 08:33:07

THE AMES TRIBUNE, Ames, Story County, Iowa, Friday, April 18, 2008.

Frederick Mark Varnum died peacefully at home Thursday, April 17, with family present. A Mass of Celebration of his life will be at 10:30 a.m. Monday, April 21, at St. Cecilia Catholic Church in Ames, with Father John Herzog presiding. Burial will be at 2 p.m. at St. James Cemetery near Colo.

Visitation will be from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m., with the rosary recited at 4:30 p.m., Sunday, April 20, at Stevens Memorial Chapel.

Fred Varnum was born April 3, 1919, in Zearing, to John and Lumilla Varnum. He graduated from Zearing High School in 1937. He served in the U.S. Army during World War II, being stationed in Europe, and was at the Battle of the Bulge.

He married Agatha Pantenburg June 12, 1946, at St. Cecilia's Catholic Church in Ames. He and Agatha resided on the family farm near Colo for more than 47 years where he was a dairy and crop farmer. Fred also worked for the Story County ASCS Office, was a member of St. Mary's and St. Cecilia's Catholic Churches in Colo and Ames, Knights of Columbus, and Farm Bureau. In 2001, they moved to Ames where he resided until his death.

His interests included gardening, camping and fishing. He was an avid reader and kept up to date with current events. Fred took great joy in his seven daughters, sons-in-law, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

He is survived by his wife, Agatha; seven daughters, Kay (Steve) Wessman and Agnes (Terry) Krausman, both of Ames, Beverly (Bob) Lidd, of Lafayette, Ind., Virginia (Bernie) McWilliams, of Pittsburgh, Pa., Dorothy (Steve) Ives, of Durand, Mich., Annette (Tom) Kalkhoff, of Spirit Lake, and Darlene (Keith) Ricke, of Vadnais Heights, Minn.; 13 grandchildren; seven great-grandchildren; four sisters, Kate (Floyd) White and Veronica Guthrie, both of Grinnell, Martha Garfield, of Sebastopol, Calif., and Alma (Dick) Noel, of Dubuque; two brothers, John (Roberta) Varnum, of Perry, and Harvey (Sherri) Varnum, of Marshalltown; and many nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his parents; one sister, Mary Elizabeth Varnum; one grandson, Mark Wessman; and one nephew, Kevin White. Also preceding him in death were family members Jim Guthrie, Charles and Mary Pantenburg and Dick Garfield.

Memorials may be directed to St. Cecilia or St. Mary's Catholic Churches or the National Parkinson Foundation Inc., 1501 NW Ninth Ave./Bob Hope Road, Miami, Fla., 33136-1494.

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