Rollie Schrank 1938-2010

SCHRANK KEMP SEUNTJENS

Posted By: Connie Swearingen (email)
Date: 3/6/2011 at 20:01:30

Sioux City Journal
22 October 2010

DANBURY, Iowa -- Rollie Schrank of Danbury passed away of bone cancer Oct. 20, 2010, at the Horn Memorial Hospital Hospice Care in Ida Grove, Iowa, at the age of 72 years, nine months and five days.

Services will be 1 p.m. Saturday at the Armstrong Funeral Home in Mapleton, Iowa, with the Rev. Len Garrison officiating. Burial will be in the Liston Township Cemetery, Danbury. Visitation will be after 3 p.m. today, with a prayer service at 7 p.m., at the funeral home.

Rollie was born Jan. 15, 1938, to Leo and Helen (Kemp) Schrank, on the family farm outside of Danbury. Rollie attended Danbury Catholic School until sixth grade, then went to the Danbury Public School. In high school, he was active in baseball and basketball, graduating in 1956, salutatorian of his class. Rollie attended Creighton University for two years, playing baseball along side of Bob Gibson who later was a pitcher for the St Louis Cardinals and also Jim Barry who later was a head basketball coach at UNI. Rollie left college to return to Danbury to farm with his father.

He married Helen Seuntjens in 1960 and to this union six sons were born. They later divorced.

Rollie managed a Little League in Danbury for several years, played with the Danbury Shamrock men's fast pitch softball team and was a referee for football games for 15 years. Rollie also drove school bus for the Maple Valley Schools for 20 years. In 1964, Rollie decided to start refereeing basketball games which he did for 35 years. Rollie was inducted into the Iowa High School Officials Hall of Fame in 1995 and the Iowa Girls Basketball Officials Hall of Fame in 2007. Rollie spent most of his life farming the family farm seeing it become a Century Farm.

Besides the love of farming and gardening, Rollie loved attending his sons' high school sporting events, going to the Final Four basketball games, going to Iowa football games and wrestling matches, attending Iowa Cubs games and most of all the time spent in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, every year for the past 12 years.

Sports was the highlight of Rollie's life. There was only one purpose for a TV and that was to watch sports. Without the word "ball" in it, the program wasn't worth watching.

Those left to cherish his memory are his sons, Sam and his friend, Julie of Rochester, Minn., Gerry of Danbury, Terry and his wife, Jan of Danbury, Joe and his wife, Deneen of Independence, Mo., and Ted of Dallas, Texas; his grandchildren, Shonda (Schrank) Rogge and her husband, Beau of Missoula, Mont., Jatessa Schrank of Battle Creek, Iowa, Tye Schrank of Danbury, Whitney Schrank of Potomac, Md., and Blake Schrank of Dallas, Texas; his special friend of 24 years, Nancy Teut and her children, Gina, Cory, Brittany and Cameron of Oak Grove, Mo., Ryan, Gage and Gracie of Omaha, Jaci, Mark, Colton, Makena and Brooklyn of Charlotte, N.C., Tera, Brandon, Reagan and Caden of Norwalk, Iowa; three sisters, Roann Linebaugh and her husband, Larry of Millard, Neb., Ruth Schrank of Sioux City, and Robin Welte and her husband, Tim of Danbury; along with several nieces, nephews and friends.

Preceding him in death besides his grandparents were his parents, Leo and Helen Schrank; one son, Max Schrank; one grandson, Rad Schrank; and one sister, Sarah Heath.

Pallbearers will be Jim Fried, Greg Zingg, Harley Leaders, Ralph Greder, Mike Iantelli, Steve Ortner, Terry Siebersma, Ron Barnett and Marty Flanigan.