Winneshiek Co. Princess and also wrote for the Decorah Newspaper.

Bio Photo

The Carl and Lenore Wennes farm at the junction of highway 9 and the Freeport Road.

Wennes, Carl and Lenore (Lundy)

(Joycelyn Moulton)

Carl Lewis Wennes was born 21 Aug 1900 in Highland Twp. to Ole Lewis and Caroline (Larson) Wennes who were married 15 May 1889. Carl’s brothers and sisters were: Peter Norris, Edgar Rudolph, Nels Oscar, Thedore Edwin, Jenny Telise (m. Kjome), and Thilda Amanda (m. Egertson).

Carl and Lenore Idella Lundy were married 23 Jun 1922 at Highland Lutheran Church. Lenore was born 22 Jun 1901 near Decorah. Her brothers and sisters were: Delmar, Walter, Henry, Violet (m. Russell), Thelma (m. Faldet), Lillian (m. Roney), Lila (m. Gavle) and Marlys (m. Goeke).

Bio Photo

Lenore and Carl L. Wennes a well known auctioneer.

In 1941 Carl and Lenore moved from Highland Twp. to their farm about a mile from Decorah on Highway #9. It bordered the banks of the Upper Iowa River and either side of the Freeport Road. It included bottom land which produced excellent corn crops.

Carl and Lenore had 3 children: Caryl Luverne, Carl, Jr. and Joycelyn Joann. Carl farmed until 1949 when they moved to 305 Day Street in Decorah while their youngest daughter was recovering from polio. Carl enjoyed being both a farmer and a well-known auctioneer of farm and household-goods sales in northeast Iowa, and cried two livestock sales barns a week for many years. After retirement he became a representative for Trojan Seed Corn Company of Rochester and later built hand-made furniture, often to specification. Carl died 28 Apr 1983 and Lenore died 17 Nov 1984.

Caryl (b. 17 Apr 1923) graduated from Decorah High School and married Russell Durwood Christiansen of Decorah who had joined the Navy. They adopted 2 children as infants: Jodi and Joel. The family lived in Virginia Beach, VA. Russell died of a sudden heart attack 26 Aug 1967. Caryl still makes her home in Virginia Beach where she has worked as a kindergarten aide for many years. Jodi married Kevin Hemphill, also in the U.S. Navy and recently made Chief. They are stationed in Bremerton, WA and have one daughter Rikki Lee. Joel has one son Blake Adam, and lives in Virginia Beach. Carl. Jr. “Bud"  served in the Navy in the Pacific in World War II and survived the sinking of his ship the U.S.S. Perry, a minesweeper. He married Florence Genevieve Kvamme of Decorah 10 Oct 1946. They had one son Carlton Wayne, nicknamed “Butchie". They lived in Long Beach, CA where Bud owned and operated a used car business and Florence owned and operated a gift shop. Bud died of cancer 21 Oct 1974, 5 months before his only grandchild Cindy Lee Wennes was born to Carlton and his wife Laurie (nee Sederholm). Carlton also suffered an untimely death at age 44 of a heart attack. Laurie continues to live in Santa Rosa and Cindy is a Junior at Sonoma State College. Florence Wennes returned to Decorah to live in the summer of 1994.  Jovcelyn graduated from Decorah High School and lives in San Carlos, CA. She and her husband George Moulton were divorced in 1979. They have 3 daughters: Teresa Moulton is a consultant for Japanese firms, and is studying for her graduate degree in International Business and Asian Studies at the University of San Francisco; Shelly married Allen Hook 23 May 1990 and is Customer Service Manager for Espirit; and Janelle married Michael Conaway 22 Oct 1989 (4 days after the Loma Prieta earthquake). Janelle and Michael have one daughter Amanda Lynn. Janelle is office manager for Imageln, a software startup company. Joycelyn is a Program Associate for the David and Lucile Packard Foundation in Los Altos, CA. Previously an editor for a general trade publisher, she is collaborating with her aunt, Thilda (Wennes) Egertson, on the latter’s book The Fruitful Years , an historical chronicle about life in the years 1912 to 1940, largely set in Northeast Iowa and Southeast Minnesota.

W-16

Partial OCR transcription, some sensitive personal information such as birth dates of people that maybe living is not included.

See the associated scan to compare with the published information.

Please, contact the County Coordinator to submit additions or corrections.


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this page was last updated on Tuesday, 30 March 2021