Croatt, Josephine Elizabeth (Unze) -- 1898 - 1999

PETERS, UNZE, CROATT, DIETZENBACH, FRANZEN, WURZER

Posted By: IA GenWeb Volunteer
Date: 6/8/2010 at 20:46:59

Decorah, Iowa Public Opinion newspaper, Tuesday, May 25, 1999

Josephine Croatt

Josephine Croatt, 101, died Tuesday, May 18, 1999, at the Barthell Eastern Star Nursing Home in Decorah.

A funeral mass was held Friday, May 21, at 11 a.m., at St. Luke's Catholic Church in St. Lucas, with the Rev. Raphael Ludwig as celebrant.

Casket bearers were Ronald Dietzenbach, Myrle Dietzenbach, Roger Dietzenbach, Danny Franzen, Jim Franzen and Dean Wurzer.

Interment was at the St. Luke's Cemetery. The Burnham-Wood Funeral Home of West Union handed arrangements.

Josephine Elizabeth (Unze) Croatt was born Feb. 4, 1898, in Marystown,
Minn., the daughter of George and Elizabeth (Peters) Unze. She attended
school through the sixth grade.

On June 18, 1919, she was united in marriage to Jacob Croatt at Marystown, Minn., and to this union five children were born.

The couple lived in the St. Lucas area all of their married life. They farmed and Jacob was a cattle buyer for area farmers.

Upon retiring from farming in 1955, they moved into St. Lucas. They spent 25 winters in Florida, until Jacob died in 1971.

Josephine enjoyed cooking, baking pies and playing cards. She had been the oldest resident in St. Lucas.

Survivors include five daughters, Mildred Dietzenbach, Louise and Edward Dietzenbach, and Irene and Albert Franzen, all of St. Lucas, Evelyn and Edwin Wurzer of Hawkeye and Rosemary and LaVerne Franzen of Waucoma; 30 grandchildren; 77 great grandchildren; and 15 great-great grandchildren.

Josephine Croatt was preceded in death by her husband; her parents; one son-in-law, Herbert Dietzenbach in 1981; four brothers; four sisters; four step-brothers, one step-sister; and two great-grandchildren.

Transcribed by an IA GenWeb Volunteer from obituaries found in the Howard-Winneshiek Genealogy Society Library, Cresco, Iowa.