Elmer Konzen

ELMER KONZEN

Marion

Elmer M. Konzen, 98, of Marion, passed away peacefully Friday, Aug. 29, 2014, at his Summit Pointe apartment. Visitation: Murdoch Funeral Home and Cremation Center, Marion, on Friday, Sept. 5, from 4 to 8 p.m. Funeral Mass: Saturday, Sept. 6, at 11 a.m. at St. Joseph Catholic Church, Marion. As per his wishes, his body has been donated to the University of Iowa. Inurnment will be at a later date, with military honors.

Survivors include his seven children and their spouses, Roger P. (Sharron) of Marion, Jeanne A. (John "Jack") Rowe of Dundee, Ill., Donna T. Green of Milwaukee, Wis., Diane L. (Richard "Red") Jensen of Lynnwood, Wash., Gary E. "Elmo" (former spouse Patly Clarey-Sage) of Marion, Kevin J. (Irene) of San Antonio, Texas, and John W. (Darla) of Marion.

Also surviving are brothers and sisters and their spouses, Virginia, Larry (Margaret), Joseph, Marie O'Neill, Richard, Anna Jane Woods, Alice (David) Tauke and Kay Wood; 16 grandchildren: Hannah and Abbey Konzen; Brother Paul Rowe, Elaine (Ron) Parker and Kathryn "Kate" Rowe; Melanie (Jack) Roepke, Michele Green (Mark Paprocki) and Melissa Green (Josh Webler); Nik, T.J. (Vinnie) and Ryan Jensen; Emily Flower-garden (Grant Munson) and Noah Konzen (Erin Foizey); and Lisa (Taylor) Bartholomew, Angela (Edwin) Donnelly and Tim (Tara) Konzen; and two stepgrandchildren, Amanda (Brett) Pomeroy and Heather Loughren; 14 great-grandchildren; two stepgreat-grandchildren; and many nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his wife, Rita, on April 9, 2004, his parents; his stepmother; his brothers, Ed (Winnie) and Bill; and his son-in-law, David Green (Aug. 20, 2014).

Elmer Matthew Konzen was born Oct. 13, 1915, in Peosta, Iowa, the elder son of Nicholas Gregory "Nic" and Katherine Martha Conrad Konzen. Martha died after Ed was born and then Nic married Gertrude Susan "Gert" Kraus and they had nine more children.

They left the farm and moved to Earlville, where Elmer graduated from high school. After a stint in the Civilian Conservation Corps, working at Devil's Backbone State Park, he was employed by the post office to work mail on the train – on the Milwaukee Road train numbers 19 and 20, Chicago – Marion – Omaha. He was a mail clerk from 1936 to 1972.

He met his bride, Rita Mathilda Hanna, of Ivesdale, Ill., while playing baseball in Chicago, where she was living with her brother, who was also a railway mail clerk like Elmer. They were married Aug. 6, 1940, in Ivesdale. Their first four children were born in Chicago. The family moved to Marion in 1950, when their house in Bellwood, Ill., was in the way of the new freeway – now the Eisenhower Expressway.

Elmer was a radioman in the United States Navy in the Pacific Theater during World War II, interrupting his time in the railway mailcar.

In Marion, Elmer was a handyman on his time off, helping in various ways at St. Joseph Church and school, and doing other building and electrical work. He volunteered at RSVP and at Crestview Nursing Home.

Memorials may be directed to St. Joseph School, Marion; Xavier High School, Cedar Rapids; Camp Courageous, Monticello; or to the family.

The family wishes to thank the caring staff at Mercy Medical Center, Willow Gardens Care Center, Summit Pointe Senior Living and Hospice of Mercy.

Please share a memory of Elmer at www.murdochfuneral home.com under obituaries.