William Jaeger

WILLIAM "BILL" RALPH JAEGER

Manchester

William "Bill" Ralph Jaeger, 83, of Manchester, passed away Thursday, Oct. 29, 2015, in the Memory Care Unit at the Strawberry Point Lutheran Home.

He was born Jan. 6, 1932, in Peosta, the son of Sylverius and Angela (Kramer) Jaeger. William was educated in Dyersville. CPL William Jaeger served in the U.S. Army during the Korean War from September 1950 until September 1953. He

received a Bronze Star for heroic and meritorious achievement.

On July 3, 1952, while William was on leave from the Army, he was united in marriage to Mary Ann Polfer at St. Paul's Catholic Church in Worthington. Nine children were blessed to this union. Together, they farmed in the Worthington and Dyersville area and later in 1965, they bought a farm north of Masonville. They retired in October 1988 and moved to Manchester.

William loved helping people, especially his children with projects. His passions were farming, fixing cars, construction and inventing things on the farm like building his own snow blower, cement mixer, skid loader "Doodle Bug" and goose neck trailer, to name a few.

William was a longtime member of Immaculate Conception church in Masonville, and later St. Mary Catholic Church in Manchester.

Survivors include eight children, Jean Ann Lee and Judy (John) Riley, both of Manchester, Joyce (Brian) Francois of Masonville, James (Tami) Jaeger of DeWitt, Joseph (Lisa) Jaeger of Manchester, Jacqueline (Don) Steffen of Earlville, Julie (Kevin) Ferden of Newnan, Ga., and Jane (Randy) Fosaaen of Ossian; 33 grandchildren; 41 great-grandchildren plus one on the way; six siblings, Norma (Jaeger) Petsche of Dyersville, John (Ruth) Jaeger of Manchester, Leo (Diane) Jaeger of Ohio, LeRoy Jaeger of Earlville, Marilyn (Pat) Werner of Hopkinton and Loras (Miki) Jaeger of Davenport; and brothers- and sisters-in-law, Richard (Jean) Polfer of Peosta, Patricia (Wayne) Tauke of Cascade, Janet (Floyd) Funke of Dyersville and Charles (Mary Jane) Polfer of The Villages, Fla.

William was preceded in death by his parents; his wife of 62 years, Mary Ann Jaeger, on Feb. 4, 2015; a son, Jeff Jaeger, in 1988; his siblings, Urban Jaeger, Joan Helle, Della Rose Downey, Eileen Appel and Jeanann Jaeger and Eldon Jaeger in infancy; and sisters- and brothers-in-law, Irene Jaeger, George Helle, LaVern Petsche, Diane Jaeger and Dianne Jaeger.

Online condolences may be sent to www.leonard-mullerfh.com.

Mass of Christian Burial: 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, Nov. 3, at Immaculate Conception Church, Masonville, with the Rev. Joseph Schneider as celebrant. Visitation: 3 to 8 p.m. Monday, Nov. 2, at Leonard-Muller Funeral Home, Manchester, where there will be a 3 p.m. Scripture service. Friends also may call from 9 until 10 a.m. Tuesday at the funeral home, with a family rosary at 9:30 a.m. Interment with military rites: St. Mary's Catholic Cemetery, Masonville.