Leo Paul Uhl 1926 - 2017

WELTE, UHL, HOVERSTEN

Posted By: Connie Swearingen- Volunteer (email)
Date: 4/2/2017 at 01:08:59

Sioux City Journal
31 March 2017

DANBURY, Iowa | Leo P. Uhl, 90, of Danbury, died Tuesday, March 28, 2017, at a Sioux City hospital.

Services will be 10:30 a.m. Saturday at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Danbury, with the Rev. Dan Greving officiating. Burial will be in Danbury Catholic Cemetery. Visitation will be 5 to 7 p.m. today, with a vigil wake service at 7 p.m. followed by a Knights of Columbus rosary, all at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Danbury. Arrangements are under the direction of Armstrong-Van Houten Funeral Home in Mapleton, Iowa. The family is receiving condolences on line at www.armstrongfuneral.com.

Leo Paul Uhl was born on July 7, 1926, on the family home west of Danbury, the son of John and Elizabeth (Welte) Uhl and the youngest of eight children. He attended country school at Living Springs School to the eighth grade. He lived on the land of his birth and farmed it his entire life until his retirement, earning the honor of Century Farm.

On Aug. 9, 1969, he was united in marriage to Martha Hoversten-Hatler of Sioux City. Martha brought her four small children to the farm, where Leo raised them as his own. Two sons were added to this union.

Leo was a God loving Christian man who found true fulfillment in farming and family. He loved turning up the soil in the springtime while smelling God's earth under the plow shares, nurturing the land and livestock. He had a deep appreciation for nature and enjoyed fine machinery along with summer and winter family vacations. His hobbies were listening to music, family travel, tractor pulls, tractor rides, restoring antique tractors, collecting John Deere toys, and storytelling of life and times on the family homestead and reading.

Generosity was set deep in his character. Leo helped many folks start out in life and never turned away anyone in need. Leo was an honest caring man, who talked of the dust bowl, the depression, picking corn by hand, and traveling by train. Above all else, he loved God, his wife, and his family. He would stop work early to attend Mass or to support the family's various activities.

Leo was a member of St. Mary's Catholic Church in Danbury and was a Fourth Degree member of the Knights of Columbus. He was also a member of the Antique Tractor Club, National Tractor Pullers Association, Community Club and the Dominic Ski Club, and served as a director at Valley Bank and Trust. Church support was important to Leo along with donations to charities and the needy.

The U.S. Army notified him to report to Fort Snelling, Minn. for his physical to take part in World War II. Passing the physical and preparing to be deployed, he received word to return home to feed the soldiers.

Those survivors left to cherish their memories of Leo include his wife of 47 years, Martha; four sons, Craig Hatler and his wife, Jennifer of Des Moines, Andrew Hatler and his wife, Dana of Mapleton, Iowa, David Uhl and his wife, Lynn of Flower Mound, Texas, and Bryan Uhl and his wife, Diana of Cornwall, N.Y.; two daughters, Crista (Hatler) Else and her husband, Dr. James Else of Mapleton, and Molly (Hatler) Bradshaw and her husband, Kevin of North Liberty, Iowa; 14 grandchildren, Amanda Ejiasi and her husband, Chikezie of San Jose, Calif., Zachary Else and his wife, Noelle of Tripoli, Iowa, Elias Else and his fiancee, Holly Wrage of South Ogden, Utah, Lucas Else and his fiancee, Elizabeth Pautsch of Mapleton, Bryce Hatler of Anchorage, Alaska, Joshua Hatler of Shreveport, La., and Kristen Hatler of Edwards, Calif., all in the U.S. Air Force, Alex Bradshaw of Iowa City, Iowa, Breanna Bradshaw of North Liberty, Nathan and Ben Uhl of Flower Mound, and Anna, Simon, and Gabriella Uhl, all of Cornwall; three stepgrandchildren, Maddison and Hunter Medbourn, and Sam Steele, all of Sioux City; four great-grandchildren, Isiah and Julian Ejiasi, and Hannah and Jonathan Else; and one sister, Helen Weber and her husband, Leo of Mapleton; along with many extended family members and good friends.

Leo was preceded in death by his parents, John and Elizabeth Uhl; as well as his siblings, Sister Anne Uhl PBVM, Alfred Uhl and his wife, Nadine, Charles Uhl and his wife, Irene, Mary Determan and her husband, Ed, Caroline Meier and her husband, Casper,and Bernice Uhl.

Memorials may be directed in Leo's honor to St. Mary's Catholic Church, 604 Peach Street, in Danbury, IA 51019.