116 3rd St SE
Cedar Rapids, Iowa 52401
Obituaries
The Gazette publishes obituaries on a daily basis. Use the search field above to search for obituaries by name or keyword. Readers can submit an obituary or submit a milestone to The Gazette. The obituary must be submitted before 1 p.m. for publication on thegazette.com at 6 p.m. and in the daily edition the next day, with the exception of obituaries for Sunday publication, which must be submitted by 1 p.m. on Fridays.
Francis J. Musel
Francis J. Musel
Cedar Rapids
Francis J. Musel, 85, of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, passed away on Sunday, Dec. 17, 2023. Funeral Mass: 10:30 a.m. Thursday, Dec. 21, 2023. A visitation will be held 9:30 a.m. at St. Ludmila Catholic Church prior to the funeral mass. Burial at Rector Cemetery, Chelsea, Iowa.
Survivors include his son, Tim Musel; daughter, Laurie (Dave) McGrath; son-in-law, Doug McCoy; grandchildren, Madison (Jason) Libbert, Cassie Musel, and Cole (Alicia) Smejkal; and great-grandchildren, Weston Smejkal, Riggs Smejkal, and Katherine Haney.
Francis was born June 27, 1938, to his parents Joseph and Vlasta Musel of Chelsea, Iowa. He attended school in Chelsea, Iowa. On May 14, 1960, Francis was united in marriage to Kathryn Hrabak of Belle Plaine, Iowa. Francis spent time racing cars at Hawkeye Downs, working for Allen motor company, volunteering in multiple different committees at St. Ludmila including being the voice of the Kolach Festival, going to watch the races at Hawkeye dDwns on Friday nights, and spending time with family and friends.
He was preceded in death by his wife, Kathryn Musel; parents, Joseph and Vlasta Musel; mother-in-law and father-in-law, Ken and Louise Hrabak; brother and sister-in-law, Paul and Betty Musel; sister and brother-in-law, Delores and John Bennett; sister-in-law Lorraine Hrabak; and daughter, Lisa Musel-McCoy.
Memorials may be directed to the family.
Please share your support and memories with Fran’s family on his Tribute Wall at www.stewartbaxter.com under Obituaries.
Daily Newsletters