OBITUARY: Al Lease, Worth County, Iowa


[Northwood Anchor Newspaper online - www.northwoodanchor.com - Nov. 27, 2001]


                   Services held for Al Lease

Al Lease, age 83, of Northwood, formerly of Storm Lake, died suddenly on Wednesday, Nov. 21, 2001 at his home at the Lutheran Retirement Home Maple Court in Northwood.        

Funeral services were Monday at Grace Lutheran Church in Storm Lake with
Pastor Steven Schulz officiating.  Burial was in Buena Vista Memorial Park
Cemetery with full military honors by Amvets Post #66 of Storm Lake.

Alva Leonard Lease was born Jan. 14, 1918 on a farm near Lawton, IA the son
of Leonard and Edith Finna) Lease.  He moved to Cherokee at a young age and
received his education in the public schools graduating from Wilson High
School in Cherokee in 1938.

Al was married to Helen Margurite Hanson on June 23, 1940 at the Presbyterian
Parsonage in Cherokee.   He was employed at Knipes Shoe Store for four years
until entering the service on Dec. 21, 1941. He served in the United States
Army Air Force from 1942-1944 as a member of the 8th Air Force, 305th bomb
group, 365th squadron, out of Chelveston, England.  He was on a combat crew
as a flight engineer and top-turret gunner on a B-17, completing 34 missions
over Europe. Upon returning from the war the couple moved to Storm Lake in
1946, where Al was employed at Kallmer Sales until 1966.  After the business
was sold he was employed at Merrill Manufacturing Company from 1967 until
retiring in 1973.  Al and Helen moved to Northwood in July 2001 to be closer
to their children. Al was a long-time member of Grace Lutheran Church of
Storm Lake.  He will be remembered as a man of high integrity, who served
as a wonderful role model as husband and father.

He is survived by a son Craig and his wife Phyllis, Northwood; a daughter
Karen Braesch and her husband Tom, Prior Lake, MN; five grandsons, Travis
and Anne Marie Lease, Port St. Lucie, FL, Brian and Becky Lease, LaCrosse,
WI, Matthew and Melissa Braesch, Sheboygan, WI, Jason and Tracy Braesch,
Prior Lake, MN and Jeff and Joan Braesch, Burnsville, MN; three great
granddaughters, Arianna Kersten and Alexis and Haley Braesch; a sister-in-law
Lillian Johnson, Storm Lake; brother-in-law Gunner Hanson, Morris, MN and
other extended family members and friends.

He was preceded in death by his parents, his wife Helen on Oct. 17, 2001, a
brother Glen and by a nephew Stephen.




Copyright (c) 2001 by Kermit Kittleson
This copy contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives.
(Note: I am not necessarily related to the subject of the obituary.)

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