Ernest Howard VRANA

VRANA, SAUNDERS, REDMOND, KREMIN, QUANDT, TOP, ROUSE, VANSICKLE, BERRY

Posted By: Sarah Thorson Little (email)
Date: 1/2/2008 at 11:35:11

Denison Bulletin Review, IA
10/20/2006

Ernest Howard Vrana, 70 years 11 months and 11 days, of Denison, Iowa passed away Tuesday morning, October 3, 2006 in Hospice at the Crawford County Memorial Hospital in Denison, Iowa. Ernest Howard Vrana was born October 14, 1935 in Manilla, Iowa, second born of twin sons to John and Mary (Saunders) Vrana. He was baptized into the Christian faith at the Presbyterian Church in Manilla, Iowa. He received his education at the Manilla Community School. As a young boy of 10, Howard set bowling pins for ten cents a line. At age 12 to 15 he worked for a farmer, drove tractor, hauling in hay and fixed fences. At age 16 he worked for a man trimming trees in Manilla, Iowa and Sac City, Iowa. At age 18 years and two weeks, on October 28, 1953, Howard began his telephone career with Central Telephone Company.

On June 8, 1958, Howard was united in marriage to Irene Redmond at the Methodist Church in Belmond, Iowa. Their marriage was blessed with four daughters, Lorna, Rita, Rhonda, and Paula. The couple settled into their 1st mobile home in 1958, living briefly at Sac City, LeMars, Orange City, George, Holstein and more for 6 years before moving to Sac City in May 1964. There they bought land and another new larger 1962 model mobile home and lived there 10 years. Howard worked a second job at Trojan Seed Company while on vacation from Central Telephone Company every fall. He also did carpenter work on his home. On July 16, 1970 a telephone pole fell and crushed his right heel. He had two surgeries in two years, yet Howard went on working for the telephone company. They moved to Denison in June 1974. His 39 years, 8 month career continued with the phone company which was known as Central Telephone, Centel, Vista, and Frontier from which he took early retirement on July 1, 1993 at age 57 3/4 years old. He was a very dedicated worker, he only missed work when the telephone pole crushed his heel, and once with pneumonia. He loved his telephone work. He was a member of Communication Workers of American Union until his retirement. Within four years after early retirement, he worked for Lukins Construction, R.L. Craft and New Tech Construction. In his spare time he enjoyed bowling where he won trophies, hunting, fishing trips, gardening, crafts, repairing small appliances, building additions onto two homes, two garages, and traveling. He especially cherished the time spent with his family, relatives, and friends who will cherish his memory forever.

Survivors include his wife, Irene; four daughters: Lorna Kremin and her husband, David of Newell, Iowa; Rita Quandt and her husband, Garry of Charter Oak, Iowa; Rhonda Top of Sioux Falls, South Dakota; and Paula; five grandchildren: Kristopher Kremin of Waterloo, Iowa; Amber Rouse and her husband, Less of Blairsburg, Iowa; Dylan Top of Sioux Falls; Sabrina and Samantha; one great-grandchild, Gage Rouse of Blairsburg, Iowa; one sister, Jean VanSickle and her husband, Charles of Sac City, Iowa; one brother, Edward Vrana of Kirksville, Missouri; other relatives, nieces, nephews and many friends. Preceding him in death were his parents, John and Mary Vrana; a sister and brother-in-law, Joanie and Donald Berry; one twin brother and sister-in-law, Harold and Marlys Vrana.

Funeral services were held at 10:30 a.m. On Monday, October 9, 2006 at the Huebner Funeral Home in Denison, Iowa. Rev. Kurt Kaiser and Rev. David Sewing officiated the service and grave side rites held at the Crawford Heights Memory Gardens in Denison. Karen Kahl provided the organ accompaniment for congregational hymn, "How Great Thou Art". Soloist Eldon Hardekopf sang, "On Eagle's Wings" and "Precious Lord, Take My Hand". Honorary pallbearers were: Loren Skinner, Larry Farley and Paul Schwanz. Pallbearers were: Kristopher Kremin, Jerry Goetzinger, Randy Volkmann, Terry Skinner, Dennis Travis and Bob Hudson. The family invited everyone in attendance at the service to join them in fellowship and lunch at the Denison Community Building, catered by Staley's Food Service of Charter Oak. The Huebner Funeral Home in Denison was in charge of arrangements.