KAFKA, Paul Joseph 1916-1999

JANECHEK, KAFKA, HAUER, ELSBERND, SCHARDIN, STALEY

Posted By: IA GenWeb Volunteer
Date: 9/29/2010 at 18:41:50

Decorah Public Opinion, Tuesday, Sept. 21, 1999

Paul Kafka

Paul Kafka, 83, of Festina, died Wednesday, Sept. 15, 1999, at the Gundersen Lutheran Medical Center in La Crosse, Wis., from complications following an automobile accident Tuesday, Sept. 14, south of Festina.

A Mass of Christian Burial was held Saturday, Sept. 18, at 11 a.m., at Our Lady of Seven Dolors Catholic Church in Festina, with the Rev. Msgr. Cletus Hawes officiating.

Lorraine Kuennen and Cynthia Elsbernd was the organists. Roger Riehle was the Eucharistic minister. James Buchheit was the lector.

Interment was at Our Lady of Seven Dolors Cemetery, Festina. The French Funeral Home of Calmar handled arrangements.

Paul Joseph Kafka was born July 23, 1916, at Calmar, the son of Joseph and Victoria (Janechek) Kafka. He attended St. Aloysius School and Calmar High School.

On June 30, 1941, he was married to Frances Hauer by the Rev. A. J. Rubly at Our Lady of Seven Dolors Church in Festina.

Paul spent some time at Farley & Loettcker in Dubuque, then left for service in the United States Air Force Dec. 25, 1942.

He spent four years with the 8th Air Force, based in England and Paris, as crew chief on a C-47.

Paul was discharged from the service in February of 1946, at which time he returned to Calmar. He worked as a machinist at Calmar Manufacturing Co. for 43 years, retiring in 1980.

He was a member of Our Lady of Seven Dolors Parish, sang with the parish choir, was a member of the American Legion and an active member of the area V.F.W.

Survivors include his wife, Frances of Festina; one daughter, Michele and Robert Elsbernd of Fort Atkinson; two grandsons, Brandon and Justin Elsbernd of Fort Atkinson; one granddaughter, Heather Kafka Lenton and husband Darren of Pasadena, Calif.; one daughter-in-law, Beth Kafka Fromme of Austin, Texas; and two sisters, Irma Schardin of Minneapolis, Minn., and Lucille Staley of Calmar.

Paul Kafka was preceded in death by a son, Jan Paul Kafka, in February of 1977; two sons in infancy; a brother, Robert Kafka of Milieu, Minn.; and a sister, Marcella Hauber of Spillville.

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