LeRoy Menssen
ESTHERVILLE, Iowa - Services for LeRoy Menssen, 78, of Estherville, Iowa, will be 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, Dec. 8, 2009, at Immanuel Lutheran Church, Estherville, with Pastor Glenn S. Bohmer officiating. Interment will be in East Side Memorial Cemetery, Estherville. Military graveside rites will be by VFW Post 3388 and American Legion Post 91, Estherville.
Visitation will be 4-8 p.m. today at Henry-Olson Funeral Chapel, Estherville.
LeRoy Kenneth Menssen, the son of Cornelius and Freida (Grund) Menssen, was born April 7, 1931, in Mountain Lake, Minn. He went to his Heavenly Home on Saturday, Dec. 5, 2009, at Avera Holy Family Health in Estherville, Iowa.
After he completing his education in the Butterfield, Minn., schools, he was employed as a farmhand. He served in the United States Army during the Korean Conflict from 1952-1954. Following his honorable discharge, he returned to the Butterfield, Minn., area.
On Nov. 6, 1955, LeRoy was united in marriage to Jennie Loretta Howard in Trimont, Minn. The couple made their home in Estherville, where they raised their family and LeRoy was employed at John Morrell and Company for 26 years. When the Morrell plant closed, LeRoy took an early retirement and operated Menssen Bait Shop with his wife, Jennie, for 15 years. In his leisure time, his passions were hunting, fishing, camping and gardening. He was an inventor and craftsman and when he wanted something done, he was the man for the job.
He was a member of Immanuel Lutheran Church and a lifetime member of VFW Post 3388 in Estherville.
Left to cherish LeRoy's memory are his wife of 54 years, Jennie, of Estherville; two sons and three daughters, Loretta Strong and her husband, Tom of Armstrong, Iowa; Glen Menssen and Angie Jewell of Cylinder, Iowa; Jeff Menssen and his wife, Julie of Dunnell, Minnesota; Wanda Menssen of Estherville; Norma Conn and Randy Martinson of Fairmont, Minn.; 20 grandchildren, Daniel Menssen, Thomas P. Strong, Carie Phelps, Amanda Menssen, Joshua Menssen, Samantha Jewell, Brittany Jewell, Allie Menssen, Brian McCubbins, Christina McCubbins, Dustin Menssen, Shawna Rois, Cory Johnson, Colleen Johnson, Danielle Hansen, Melissa Hansen, Jeffrey "Bud" Hansen, Chelsey Conn, Daniel Conn, Dalton Martinson; 25 great-grandchildren; one brother, Donald Menssen and his wife, Mary Ann; two sisters, Darlene Ebbenga and Gayle McLeod; and sisters-in-law, Helen Menssen, Beverly Menssen, Mable Howard, Mildred Kamrath and Betty Cochran.
Preceding LeRoy in death were his parents; three brothers, Dennis, Walter and twin brother, Leslie; one sister, Karen Janzen; mother-in-law and father-in-law, Ruby and Frank Howard; four brothers-in-law, Theodore Bradwich, Norman Howard, Loren Kamrath; Arden Cochran; and sister-in-law, Elizabeth Scholton.
