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Lenard Barenz
LENARD W. BARENZ
Iowa City
Lenard W. Barenz, 92, passed away Aug. 13, 2017. Visitation will be held from 4 to 7 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 17, at Gay & Ciha Funeral Service in Iowa City, where a service will begin at 7 p.m. Online condolences may be shared with his family at www.gayandciha.com.
Lenard William Barenz was born Sept. 8, 1924, in Whitetail, Mont., the ninth of 11 children born to William Barenz and Ethel Potter Barenz. In 1936, he moved to Iowa with his parents, his sister, Lillian, and his brothers, Robert and Ralph. Lenard graduated from McIntire High School in 1942. On Oct. 30, 1949, Lenard married Bonnie Belle Allen at the Methodist Church in Plymouth, Iowa. They farmed in north central Iowa until December 1956, when they moved to Iowa City.
Together, Lenard and Bonnie owned and operated Oak Grove Motel on Highway 6 in Coralville until 1976. Lenard then worked at Mayflower Apartments in Iowa City and when that property was acquired, he became an employee of the University of Iowa maintenance department, working in student residence halls, utilizing his self-taught skills and curiosity to take apart and repair anything mechanical, until his retirement in 1992.
Lenard was proud to be called Dad and Grandpa, and enjoyed any topic to do with his children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. His manner was on the quiet side but his humor was sharp and dry, and his distinctive chuckle when amused by a good joke was infectious.
Lenard is survived by his sister, Lillian McKenna of Osage; sister-in-law, Jean Allen of Johnston; sons, Richard (Laurie) Barenz of South Amana and Russell (Karen) Barenz of Swisher; daughter, Rosemary Barenz of Minneapolis, Minn.; grandchildren, Craig (Lori) Barenz of Marion, Troy (Jackie) Barenz, of Austin, Texas, Stacy Barenz (Ken Sivertsen) of Clinton and Ryan Barenz (April Kerr) of Waterloo; great-grandchildren, Morgan Barenz and Dylan Barenz; step-grandchildren, Justin (Lindsey) Knottnerus, Taran (Jason) Wells and Kristen (Mark) Kelso; and nieces, nephews, relatives and friends.
Lenard was preceded in death by his beloved wife, Bonnie; his parents, William and Ethel Barenz; seven brothers, Frederick, Wilbur, Robert, Virgil, Harold, Wilmer and Ralph; and two sisters, Wilda Barenz and Aletha Shomber.
No matter what we may imagine about an afterlife, it is certain that Lenard and Bonnie are together again.
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