Leonard Paul GOBELI

GOBELI, WILSON, KADUCE, VANHORN, SMITH, HILD, VITERI, SANDERS, LINDQUIST

Posted By: Sarah Thorson Little (email)
Date: 1/4/2012 at 12:32:20

May 3, 1934 --- January 1, 2012

MASON CITY - Leonard Paul Gobeli, 77, of Mason City, died Sunday, Jan. 1, 2012, at the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas. Funeral services will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Thursday, Jan. 5, 2012, at Grace United Methodist Church, 200 14th Street N.W., Mason City, with the Rev. Steve Hansen officiating. Visitation will be from 5-8 p.m. today, Wednesday, Jan. 4, at Major Erickson Funeral Home, 111 N. Pennsylvania Avenue, and one hour prior to the funeral at the church on Thursday. Interment will be at the Meservey Cemetery in Meservey. In lieu of flowers memorials may be directed to the Grace United Methodist Church, American Heart Association, or the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.

Leonard Paul Gobeli was born May 3, 1934, in Grimes Township Section 17 in Cerro Gordo County, the son of Lester and Avis (Wilson) Gobeli. He attended and graduated from Meservey High School, where he played tuba in band. He was baptized at the Evangelical United Brethren Church in Goodell, and confirmed at the United Brethren Church in Meservey. He attended Iowa State University. He was married to Marlene Kaduce on April 15, 1956, at the Little Brown Church in Nashua. He worked for the Klemme Co-Op, American Sugar Co., and then Wilson/Farmstead Foods for over thirty years until retiring. Leonard had a passion for farming and always kept this close to his heart. Through the years he tilled gardens, helped with snow removal, and did custom baling. Following retirement he attended North Iowa Area Community College and graduated with a degree in Building Trades and was on the Dean's List. He was a custom carpenter and an all-around handy-man that could fix anything with the bare essentials. Leonard also was the friendly receptionist at his wife's business, Gobeli Tax Services, for many years. Leonard loved tending to his garden, most of the produce that was raised was donated, some was sold, and the benefits were donated to the church for their mission projects. Often you could see Leonard out for a stroll on his bicycle. He was a longtime member of the Boy Scouts and 4-H, where he also served as a leader for many years. He was long-time member of the Grace United Methodist Church, where he was a Lay Speaker, Sunday school teacher and superintendent, Head Usher, Church Trustees member and was treasurer of the Grace United Methodist Men's Club.

He is survived by his wife, Marlene of Mason City; children, James (Jody) Gobeli of Belmond, Doug Gobeli of Mason City, Dale Gobeli of Belmond, Teresa (Chip) VanHorn of Chula Vista, Calif., Jeffrey Gobeli and Laura Gobeli of Houston, Texas and Calvin (Kris) Smith of Tomball, Texas; grandchildren, Jennifer (Joshua) Hild, Lance (Tammy) Gobeli, Timothy, Jesse and Jake Gobeli, Anna and Jenna VanHorn, Amelia Viteri and Joshua and Tarah Smith; great-grandchildren, Brandon, Zachary, and Tatin, Mitchell, Nathanael, Macy and Adrien; siblings, Daryl (Norma Jean) Gobeli, Donald Gobeli, David (Sandi) Gobeli; three sisters-in-law, Cindy Sanders, Barbara Lindquist, Jeanyce Gobeli, many nieces and nephews and a large extended family. He was preceded in death by his parents, Lester and Avis Gobeli; parents-in-law, Joe and Bessie Kaduce; brother, Allan Gobeli; sisters-in-law, Marge Gobeli and Mavis Kaduce; half-brother, Irwin Lindquist and grandchildren, Michael Gobeli and Bess Amanda VanHorn. Arrangements are with Major Erickson Funeral Home & Crematory, 111 N. Pennsylvania Avenue, Mason City, Iowa.

Mason City Globe Gazette -- Iowa
January 4, 2012