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William Bobzien
WILLIAM F. "BILL" BOBZIEN
Palo
William F. "Bill" Bobzien, 85, of Palo, formerly of LaPorte City and Van Horne, died Thursday, Jan. 14, 2016, at home in Palo surrounded by his family.
Mass of Christian Burial will be 10:30 s.m. Tuesday,
Jan. 19, at Sacred Heart Catholic Church, LaPorte City, with Father Ray Atwood as celebrant. The family will greet friends from 9 a.m. until service time at the church on Tuesday. Military rites will be conducted by Geo. G. Luckey American Legion Post 57 of Vinton and Iowa Military Funeral Honors. Interment will take place in the spring at Westview Cemetery, La Porte City.
Memorials may be directed to Hospice of Mercy in Hiawatha.
Phillips Funeral Home in Vinton is in charge of arrangements.
Bill was born Nov. 27, 1930, at his family home in Van Horne to Gilbert and Fern (Pegump) Bobzien. He graduated from Van Horne High School and enlisted in the U.S. Army. Bill was honorably discharged from his service to his nation in March 1960. He was united in marriage to Barbara Bower in August 1955 in Vinton, Iowa, and they later divorced. In 1972, he was united in marriage to Barbara (Holub) Dawes; they were married for many years and later divorced. On June 27, 1992, Bill was united in marriage to Carole Ann Brown Wellner. She preceded him in death on Aug. 11, 2014.
Bill worked for many years as a welder at Hawk-Built in Vinton until it closed. He later worked for Kinze Manufacturing and Tyson Foods in Arkansas.
He was a lifelong volunteer firefighter and longtime member of Geo. G. Luckey American Legion Post 57 in Vinton. Bill also was a member of Sacred Heart Catholic Church in La Porte City, LaPorte City Lions Club and Moose Lodge in Washburn.
He greatly enjoyed going dancing with his wife, Carole Ann.
He is survived by his children, Michael Bobzien and Philip Bobzien, both of Cedar Rapids, Tim (Renee McDonald) Bobzien of Vinton, Diana (Larry) Severin of Faribault, Minn., and Suzan (Mike Boatman) Graveman of Palo; his grandchildren, Amber (Dan Meyer) Graveman, Andrea (Eric) Petersen, Kiley Schmitt, Anabelle Boatman, Justin Severin, Allison (Mitch Luckow) Severin and Jordan and Jennifer Bobzien; his great-grandchildren, Daphne and Delaney Luckow, Olivia Graveman and Tiffany and Rachel Petersen; and his stepchildren, Katherine (Ken) Konz of Coralville, Terry (Bev) Wellner of Marion, Neil (Kim) Wellner of DeWitt, Jarrod Wellner of La Porte City, Ronnie Wellner of LaPorte City and Debbie (Ronnie) Grimes of Garland, Texas.
Bill was preceded in death by his parents, a stillborn sister and his three wives.
The family would like to express their sincere gratitude to Hospice of Mercy, Chaplain Joe Kane, hospice nurses, Rebecca and Lisa, and Sister Annette at St. Elizabeth's in Hiawatha.
Online condolences may be left at www.phillips
funeralhomes.com.
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