Kneeskern, Robert Fred -- 1914 - 1996

BEADLE, KNEESKERN, YOUNG, PREW, BURNS, YARWOOD

Posted By: Mary Durr (email)
Date: 10/24/2009 at 10:17:44

Funeral services for Robert Kneeskern were held Wednesday, December 18, 1996 at 11 a.m. in the Zion Lutheran Church at Castalia, Iowa. The Rev. Wayne H. Hagen, Interim Pastor of St. Paul Lutheran Church in Postville, officiated. Marlys Hager was the organist. The Schutte Funeral Service of Postville was in charge of arrangements. Interment will be in the Pleasant View Cemetery at Castalia.

Robert Fred Kneeskern, son of Fred and Estella (Beadle) Kneeskern, was born July 9, 1914 in Bloomfield Township, Winneshiek County near Castalia, Iowa. He died Saturday, December 14, 1996 in St. Francis Hospital at LaCrosse, Wisc. He was 82.

He attended the Bloomfield Township rural school, the Castalia School and for a short time, the Postville School. On April 22, 1936 he was married to Mabel Artha Young in the Lutheran Parsonage at Charles City, Iowa. Robert had a route where he peddled fish, he sold ice, worked in a gas station in Castalia and "hung" mail, which consisted of placing the mailbag where the train could pick it up without stopping. During World War II, both he and Mabel went to Richmond, California where they worked in a shipyard. But most of Robert's life was spent raising mink for commercial purposes.

Robert and Mabel enjoyed spending time at their home on Essman Island near Guttenberg, Iowa. In the winter they traveled to Florida.

He is preceded in death by his parents, a brother, Ralph Kneeskern and a sister who died in infancy.

Surviving are his wife, Mabel, of Monona; a son, Lyle Kneeskern and his wife, Norma of Castalia; a daughter, Roberta and her husband, Pete Prew of Prairie du Chien, Wisc.; eight grandchildren, Dan Kneeskern and wife, Lisa; Larry Kneeskern and wife, Laura; Monty Burns and wife, Lori; Dennis Burns and wife, Diane; Kent Burns and wife, Linda; Craig Burns and wife, Jaci; Jody (Burns) and husband, Timothy Pennington; Jamey Burns and wife, Bobbi; eleven great grandchildren, Bradley and Andrew Kneeskern; Chris, Kyle and Kendra Burns; Jason Burns; Bobby and Zachary Burns; Jerad, Jeramey and Jesi Burns; a sister, Rosalie Yarwood of Raleigh, NC; a sister-in-law, Loretta Kneeskern of Rochester, Minn. and an [x-]son-in-law, Robert Burns and wife, Barb, of Postville.

Robert was a member of the Zion Lutheran Church in Castalia and an associate member of the Nativity Lutheran Church in Florida. He had served as president of the Iowa Fur Farmers Association.

Casket bearers were Dan Kneeskern, Kent Burns, Larry Kneeskern, Craig Burns, Monty Burns, Jody Pennington, Dennis Burns and Jamey Burns.

Postville Herald-Leader newspaper clipping from my mother's obituary collection.
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