Lawrence Frank Kotula 1918 - 2003

KOTULA, JOHN, BLIESE

Posted By: Connie Swearingen-Volunteer (email)
Date: 4/12/2014 at 21:33:48

Sioux City Journal
3 December 2003

Lawrence Frank Kotula, 85, of Sioux City passed away Sunday, Nov. 30, 2003.

Services will be 11 a.m. Saturday at Concordia Lutheran Church, with the Rev. Schesselman officiating. Burial will be in Memorial Park Cemetery. Visitation will be 4 to 8 p.m. Friday, with the family present 6 to 8 p.m., at Meyer Brothers Colonial Chapel.

Lawrence was born in Browerville, Minn., on Nov. 27, 1918, to Thomas and Frances (John) Kotula. He entered the United States Navy on Jan. 17, 1939. He earned the rank of chief gunner's mate on the USS Portland, while serving in the Pacific Theater. The Portland and its crew earned 16 battle stars and Lawrence was awarded two Purple Heart Medals. He was honorably discharged after the war.

He married Dora Bliese on June 9, 1947. He worked for the United States Post Office from 1949 to 1976, 10 years in downtown Sioux City and 16 years as a rural carrier out of Leeds.

He was a member of Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 580, American Legion Post 64, The Boys of 68 and the National Rural Letter Carriers Association. He enjoyed bowling and was an avid golfer.

He is survived by his wife, Dora; his children, Leroy and Susan Kotula of The Colony, Texas, Dorothy and Steve Ledbetter of Rockford, Mich., and Carol and Mark Moerman of Thief River Falls, Minn.; his grandchildren, Joe, Tim, Ben and Carrie Kotula, Kendra (Ledbetter) Thompson, Eric Ledbetter, and Jason, Andrew and Teresa Friend; his great-granddaughters, Chelsea Fohl and Kennedy Kotula; and his brothers and sisters, Ed, Agnes, Hattie, Frank, Gene, Cecelia, Vernon, Shirley and Tom.

He was preceded in death by his parents; and his brothers and sisters, Mary, Sister Doris, Genevieve, Patricia and Robert.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to Hospice of Siouxland or Concordia Lutheran Church.