Lawrence Alfred Engstler
April 4, 1929 - November 1, 2011

Lawrence A. Engstler, 82, of Garner, died on Tuesday, November 1, 2011, at his home north of Garner.

Funeral services will be held at 10:30 a.m., on Saturday, November 5, at the St. Boniface Catholic Church in Garner, with Fr. Dennis Miller officiating. Burial will be in the St. Boniface Catholic Cemetery, with military rites by the Garner Veterans Ceremonial Unit. Visitation will be held from 4-7:00 p.m., on Friday, at the Cataldo Funeral Chapel in Garner, with a Knights of Columbus Rosary at 7:00 p.m. followed by a Scriptural Wake Service.

Lawrence Alfred Engstler, the son of Harvey and Anna (Dankbar) Engstler, was born on April 11, 1929, on a farm north of Garner. He attended the Garfield No. 1 rural school and graduated from the Garner High School in 1946. After graduation, he worked for farmers in the area. Lawrence served his country during the Korean conflict as a Sergeant in the U.S. Army. On May 28, 1953, he married Carole Monson at the St. Boniface Catholic Church. They lived on a farm west of Garner until 1953 when they moved into town. In 1962, they moved to their farm north of Garner. Lawrence worked at the Garner Creamery and the Hancock County Road Maintenance Department until his retirement. He also farmed for many years.

Lawrence enjoyed working, playing sports in his younger years and visiting with family and friends. He was a member of the St. Boniface Catholic Church, Men's Society, Knights of Columbus and the Garner VFW Post 5515.

Lawrence is survived by his wife, Carole of Garner; four sons, Bruce Engstler of Huntington, West Virginia, Kenny (Teri) Engstler of Garner, Larry (Denise) Engstler of Lawndale, California and Dave (Deb) Engstler of Garner; eleven grandchildren, Bryan (Hannah) Lunning, Ben (Nicole) Follman and their son, Cayden, Mitch Lunning, Alyssa Haaker, Whitney (Trevor) Urich and their soon-to-be-born son, Jade Engstler, Jace Engstler, Nick Engstler, Zach Engstler, Joshua Engstler and Carter Engstler; two sisters, Helen Severson of Garner and Joanne Nedved of Gladstone, Missouri; a brother, Marvin (Elizabeth) Engstler of Garner; and many nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his parents; two sons, Kevin in 1975 and Doug in 2010; a granddaughter, Kayla Engstler; a grandson, Justin Lunning; and a brother-in-law, Duane Severson.
© Cataldo Funeral Home 2011

Leonard James Jansa
August 16, 1925 - November 3, 2011

Leonard J. Jansa, 86, of Garner, died on Thursday, November 3, 2011, at the Concord Care Center in Garner.

Visitation will be held from 3-5:00 p.m., on Sunday, at the Cataldo Funeral Chapel in Garner. A private burial with military rites, will be held at the Lincoln Memorial Cemetery in Lincoln, Nebraska.

Leonard James Jansa, the son of George and Helen (Matousek) Jansa, was born on August 16, 1925 in Valparaiso, Nebraska. He graduated from the Ashland, Nebraska High School in 1948. Leonard served his country during WW II in the U.S. Navy. On October 30, 1947, he married Mary Pokorny. They lived in Kansas, Iowa and eventually settled in Lincoln, Nebraska. Leonard was employed as a sales engineer with Armco Steel until his retirement in 1982. In 2004, Leonard moved to the Cardinal Grove Assisted Living in Garner.

He enjoyed his family, visiting with people, watching football, reading, fishing and traveling to the southern and western parts of the United States. He enjoyed nothing more than a night out in a nice restaurant with his family and friends discussing current events and the stock market. He will be truly missed by his family and those who he came in contact with on a daily basis. He was a member of the American Legion.

Leonard is survived by his daughter, Kathy "Kate" Atkinson and husband, Rick of Algona; two grandsons, Blake and Cory Janssen; a step-daughter, Abbie Atkinson; and a step-son, Tyler Atkinson.

He was preceded in death by his parents; wife, Mary; a son-in-law, Rich Janssen; and siblings.
© Cataldo Funeral Home 2011

Nancy L. Greiman

November 9, 2011

Nancy L. Greiman, 68, of Brookings, Oregon, died on Thursday, November 3, 2011, following a five year battle with cancer.

A memorial service will be held at 10:30 a.m., on Friday, November 11, at the Calvary Assembly of God, Brookings. Pastor Adrian Van Aswegan will officiate. Memorials may be made to the St. Timothy's Free Healthcare Outreach Clinic, P.O. Box 1237, Brookings, Oregon 97415. The Redwood Memorial Chapel of Brookings, was in charge of the arrangements.

Nancy was born on June 19,1943 in Clarinda, the daughter of J. Richard and Grace M. (Shields) Farquhar. She was raised in Garner and completed nurses' training in Omaha, Nebraska. On December 30, 1966, Nancy married her high school sweetheart, Daniel D, Greiman in Garner. The couple moved briefly to Van Nuys, California, then to Simi Valley, California, where their children were born. After eight years, they resettled in Calabasas, California for 18 years, before moving to Brookings following Dan's retirement in 1996. While in California, Nancy worked as a Registered Nurse for several hospitals. While in Brookings, she was employed initially for Southern Oregon Health Care, and then worked in the office of Dr. Pamela Demian. She later purchased Nurses for You, which she owned until illness forced its sale in 2009.

Her career took her into many areas of nursing, where she was a conscientious and hard worker. She found the most satisfaction in caring for others in their home and enjoyed owning her own business. She had been a caregiver to her father in his final days and was always supportive of her family and friends. She and Dan enjoyed a happy 45 year marriage.

Nancy was exemplary in so many ways; she was talented in hospitality and greatly enjoyed her home which she co-designed with Dan. She was active in church and had enjoyed women's Bible studies wherever she lived. She loved to travel and had been able to go to many places she had longed to see. She also loved her dogs.

Nancy is survived by her husband, Dan of Brookings, Oregon; son and daughter-in-law, Brian and Dalene Greiman and their children, Lane and Ashley, of McKenna, Washington; son and daughter-in-law, Andrew and Jennifer Greiman and their children, Cody and Megan of Camarillo, California; mother, Grace Farquhar of Loveland, Colorado; three brothers, John Farquhar and his wife, Jan of Klemme, Charles Farquhar and his wife, Thelma of Longmont, Colorado and Howard Farquhar and his wife, Diane of Loveland, Colorado; a sister, Carolyn Rodriquez and her husband, Sam of Dewey, Arizona; and several nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her father, Dick Farquhar.
©The Garner Leader 2011

Eileen McCormick Malek
August 25, 1922 - November 6, 2011

Eileen McCormick Malek, 91, of Gretna, Nebraska and previously of Garner, died on Sunday, November 6, 2011, after a short illness, surrounded by family at the Midlands Community Hospital in Papillion, Nebraska.

Funeral services will be held at 10:30 a.m., on Wednesday, November 9, at the St. Boniface Catholic Church in Garner, with Fr. Dennis Miller officiating. Burial will be in the St. John's Catholic Cemetery in Duncan. Visitation will be held from 4-6:30 p.m., on Tuesday, at the Cataldo Funeral Chapel in Garner, with a Rosary Society rosary at 6:00 p.m., followed by a Scriptural Wake service. Eileen will be laid to rest beside her husband in the St. John's Cemetery in Duncan, Iowa.

Eileen McCormick, was born on August 25, 1920 and was the daughter of Michael and Florence McCormick. She was baptized and confirmed at the St. Boniface Catholic Church in Garner. She attended grade school and graduated from the Garner High School in May 1937. Following graduations, she worked at Roe's grocery store for several years. On August 23, 1938, she married Edward F. Malek (deceased). Eileen began working outside the home in the late 1960's at the Garner Hayfield High School. In 1968, she took the Iowa Merit Test and began working for the Department of Human Services for Hancock County and worked until her retirement in 1989. She was honored by Gov. Robert Ray in 1980 for her outstanding work for the DHS.

Eileen was very involved with the St. Wenceslaus Catholic Church in Duncan, where she taught CCD classes for 13 years, served as officer for the Rosary Society, worked on the committee for the first printing of the Duncan Cook Book and sang in the choir with her husband for over 42 years.

In 1980, after 42 years on the farm, Ed and Eileen retired and moved to Garner where they enjoyed 25 years together. One major highlight for both Ed and Eileen were two trips to London and then on to Wales to visit relatives. While living in Garner, they became members of the St. Boniface Catholic Church. Eileen enjoyed cooking, baking and working with plants both in the house and outdoors. Ed Malek died on October 30, 2005 after a short illness. One month prior to his death, Ed and Eileen move to Gretna, Nebraska, where they lived with Tom and Marilyn Malek. Eileen suffered from several medical problems including macular degeneration and lost her sight. She enjoyed reading, but after losing her sight, she began listening to books on tape provided by the Library for the Blind in Lincoln, Nebraska.

Eileen is survived by three children, Carolyn (Joseph) McGuire of State Center, Tom (Marilyn) Malek of Gretna, Nebraska and Catherine (Bruce) Kennedy of Pleasant Prairie, Wisconsin. They have nine grandchildren, Tim McGuire, Molly McGuire (fiancé Manny Vasquez), Moira Pyle, Tiffani (Mike) Keckler, Alissa (Brian) Neu, Shannon (Jody) Siver, Megan (Rob) McDonald, Matthew Kennedy and Michael (Jocelyn) Kennedy. There are fifteen great-grandchildren, Maggie and Macey McGuire, Aiden and Addison McGuire Vasquez, Devon Pyle, Taylor Wagner, Noah May, Sydney Keckler, Natalie, Jacquelyn and Lillian Siver, Morgan and Reese Neu, Carson Kennedy and Charlotte McDonald. She is also survived by a brother, Robert (Bev) McCormick and several nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her husband of 67 years, Edward Malek.
© Cataldo Funeral Home 2011

Duane A. Pigman
February 12, 1948 - November 12, 2011

Duane A. Pigman, 63, of Crystal Lake, died on Saturday, November 12, 2011, at the Westview Care Center in Britt.

Memorial services will be held at 10:30 a.m., on Wednesday, November 16, at the Cataldo Funeral Chapel in Garner, with Chaplain Janet Dorenkamp of the Hospice of North Iowa officiating. Inurnment will be at a later date in the Concord Township Cemetery. Visitation will be held from 4-7:00 p.m., on Tuesday, at the Cataldo Funeral Chapel.

Duane Arnold Pigman, was born on February 12, 1948 at Sioux City, Iowa. He graduated from the Crystal Lake High School in 1966 and continued his education at a technical college in Des Moines. On June 21, 1975, he married Julie Gouge at the St. Paul Lutheran Church in Garner. They lived in Garner until moving to their home in Crystal Lake in 1977. Duane farmed the home farm located south of Crystal Lake, drove delivery trucks, then worked at Winnebago Industries in Forest City for ten years until health issues caused him to retire.

He enjoyed hunting, boating, fishing, motorcycles, horses and participating in and going to rodeos. Duane also enjoyed doing things with his grandkids and holiday family get-togethers. He was a member of the St. John's Lutheran Church in Woden and the Odd Fellows.

Duane is survived by his wife, Julie of Crystal Lake and their three children, Justin Pigman of Crystal Lake, Renae (Ryan) Welhousen of Titonka and Rhonda Pigman of Crystal Lake; Duane's two children from a previous marriage, Rob Pigman of Lake Mills and Sheila Michelson of Swea City; grandchildren, Anthony, James, Kyle, Dalten, MacKenzie, Riley, Reese and Rowan; his mother, Lois Bauer of Garner; and siblings, Hal (Cindy) Bauer of Kanawha, Dallas Bauer of Garner, Connie Bauer of Garner, Janelle Smith of Garner, Dean Bauer of Forest City and Mark Bauer of Garner.

He was preceded in death by his grandparents, Robert and Alta Pigman; and his favorite hunting dog, Rosie.
© Cataldo Funeral Home 2011

Eldon Hagen

November 23, 2011

Eldon Olvin Hagen, 88, of Klemme, died on Saturday, November 19, 2011, at the Lutheran Retirement Home in Northwood.

Funeral services will be held at 10:30 a.m., on Wednesday. November 23, at the Immanuel Reformed United Church of Christ in Klemme, with the Reverend Donna Buckman officiating. Full military honors will be provided at the interment in the Ell Township Cemetery in Klemme. Visitation will be held from 4-7:00 p.m., on Tuesday, November 22, at the Andrews Funeral Home, Klemme. Visitation will continue one hour prior to the services at the church. The Andrews Funeral Home of Klemme, is in charge of the arrangements.

Eldon Olvin Hagen, was born on March 2, 1923 in Hanlontown, to Martin and Ida (Smeby) Hagen. Eldon learned at a young age the value of hard work on the farm. He could only complete the eighth grade as he was then needed to work on the family farm due to the illness of his father. He continued to work on the family farm for several years. On January 6, 1946, he was united in marriage to Avis Barz at the Immanuel Reformed Church in Klemme. That same year, he enlisted in the United States Navy during World War II and served as a motion picture operator in China. After his discharge from the Navy, Eldon and Avis farmed for one year at Hanlontown and then moved to Klemme where they continued to farm. In 1973, Eldon's son, Bob, joined the farming operation and they farmed together until Eldon's retirement. Avis and Eldon's marriage of 65 years was blessed by four children, Bob, Nancy, Mary Lou and Cherie Sue.

Eldon's farming was not just a career but a way of life. He would sow the fields and reap the benefits. Being a lifelong farmer, Eldon knew the definition of hard work and determination. Growing up through the hard times of life, Eldon made due of everything given to him and appreciated the small things. Eldon and Avis made the best of what they had, together raising the family and tending to the farm.

Farming was not Eldon's only passion, he also enjoyed buying and trading cars. Eldon was known to go on long road trips with friends and the family never knew what car may appear in the garage as a result of these trips. Eldon enjoyed big band and polka music. Eldon loved to dance and at the Surf Ballroom with Avis where they had originally met. Eldon's strong Norwegian side even came out occasionally with his Ole and Lena jokes along with his love of lefse and lutefisk.

Eldon's memories and love will be left in the hearts of his wife, Avis; his children, Bob Hagen of Klemme, Nancy Howe of Apple Valley, Minnesota, Mary Clement of Garner and her fiancé, Bob Hejlik; siblings, Raymond (Lavonne) Hagen of Forest City, Irvin (Gloria) Hagen of Manly, Marlin (Donna) Hagen of Northwood; sisters-in-law, Clarice Hagen of Northwood, Ihla Barz of Garner and Gladys Barz of Waterloo; grandchildren, Matt Hagen, Jenna Hagen, Michael Howe, Jessica (Garis) McCutcheon, Nicole Clement, Katie (Matt) Pronk and Alex Clement; along with numerous nieces and nephews.

Eldon was preceded in death by his parents, Martin and Ida Hagen; daughter, Cherie Sue; brother, Harold Hagen; brothers-in-law, Raymond Barz, Evert Barz and Allen Barz; sister-in-law, Viola Barz; nephews, Terry Hagen and Dan Barz; and former daughter-in-law, Jody Hagen.
©The Garner Leader 2011

Leo W. Blumer

November 30, 2011

Leo Walter Blumer, 85, of Hendersonville, North Carolina, formerly of Klemme, died on Tuesday, November 22, 2011, at the Elizabeth House in Flat Rock, North Carolina, under the loving care of Four Seasons Hospice.

The Shuler Funeral Home in Hendersonville is in charge of the arrangements and will accept condolences on behalf of the family at 125 Orrs Camp Road, Hendersonville, North Carolina. www.shulerfuneralhome.com. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to the charity of the donor’s choice. The memorial service will be held in the Midwest at a later date.

Leo Walter Blumer, was born to Walter and Mae Blumer on May 26, 1926 in Hancock County, Iowa and grew up on a farm near Klemme and graduated from the Klemme High School. He briefly attended Waldorf College in Forest City, where he met his wife, Dixie. Leo served in the Navy for two years and then attended Iowa State University, graduating with a degree in electrical engineering. Upon graduation, he was employed by Northwestern Bell, beginning a 35 year career with the Bell System. He retired in 1984 and he and Dixie moved to Henderson County, North Carolina in 1986, to spend their retirement years.

Leo loved to play golf and bridge and he and Dixie spent many, many days hiking in the beautiful North Carolina mountains. He also enjoyed the time he spent building homes with Habitat for Humanity. Travels took Leo and Dixie to many foreign counties and throughout the US, with western and southwestern United States being special destinations.

Leo is survived by his wife of 64 years, Dixie; one son and 3 daughters, Kendall (Celeste) Blumer of St. Louis, Missouri, Barbara (Ed Martini) Blumer of Eagan, Minnesota, Jeri (Richard) Skelton of St. Charles, Illinois and Alicia (Steve) Henderson of Lincoln Nebraska; eight grandchildren, Jessica and Libbi Hoel, Erin and Kerri Blumer, Kati and Jack Skelton, and Becky and Meghan Henderson; brother, Ivan (Bonnie) Blumer; sisters, Mary Ann (Luverne) Schmidt and Marlene (Cecil) Jacobs.

His brother, Glenn and his sister, Margie preceded him in death.
©The Garner Leader 2011

Bud Montgomery, 80, of Garner, died on Wednesday, November 23, 2011, at the Westview Care Center in Britt, Iowa.

Funeral services will be held at 10:30 a.m., on Tuesday, November 29, at the Zion Evangelical and Reformed Church in Garner, with Rev. Brian Lund officiating. Burial will be in the Ell Township Cemetery in Klemme. Visitation will be held from 4-6:00 p.m., on Monday, at the Cataldo Funeral Chapel in Garner and will continue one hour prior to the services at the church.

Howard William Montgomery, the son of Clifford and Lela (Bachman) Montgomery was born on July 3, 1931. He was baptized at the Klemme Methodist Episcopal Church on September 20, 1931. Bud attended and graduated from the Klemme High School in 1948 and played on the Klemme basketball team. He especially enjoyed attending the Klemme Golden Oldies reunions in later years. Bud spent his working life as a printer. He worked at the Klemme Times in Klemme, North Iowa Printing Company in Garner and MetalCraft in Mason City. On July 20, 1952, he married LaVon A. Franken at the Evangelical and Reformed Church in rural Schaller. They made their first home in Klemme; eventually moving to Garner. After 18 years of marriage, they were blessed with their daughter, Ann, in 1970. LaVon passed away July 4, 1984. On September 19, 1986, Bud married Deloris "Dee" K. (Schriever) Casey at the Zion Evangelical and Reformed Church in Garner. The couple enjoyed spending winters as "snow birds" in the Mesa, Arizona area. Dee passed away July 26, 2009.

Bud was an avid collector of antiques. He had collections of picture postcards, coins, Nippon glassware, license plates and everything in between. His lifelong passion was antique cars. He especially enjoyed traveling the U.S. on antique car tours in his retirement. Bud and Dee completed the New London-New Brighton One Cylinder Antique Car Run many times.

Bud was a member of the Zion Evangelical and Reformed Church in Garner, a charter member of the North Iowa Vintage Auto Club (NIVA) of Mason City, a member of the Antique Automobile Club of America, the Model T Ford Club of America and the Clarion Coin Club.

Bud is survived by his daughter, Ann (Troy) FitzHenry of Mankato, Minnesota; step-children, Doug (Tammie) Casey of Hampton and Barbara (Mylon) Card of Hampton; grandchildren, Drew and Cassandra FitzHenry, Nicole, Jenna, Jordan, Emily and Chase Casey, Ciara, Rachel, Aubrey and Alexis Card; a sister, Carole (Paul) Thovson of Mesa, Arizona; a sisters-in-law, Sharron (Robert) Johnson of Latimer and Phyllis Franken of Odebolt; and a niece, nephew and several cousins.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Clifford and Lela Montgomery; and his wives, LaVon and Dee.
© Cataldo Funeral Home 2011