Leo L. Willenborg

Leo Willenborg, son of Henry and Ida (Uhlenkamp) Willenborg, was born at home on a farm near Templeton, Iowa on August 6, 1924. At 100 years old, he had been through many changes in his lifetime. He walked to a country school about 2 miles from the house, except for 2nd grade, and 8th grade. He attended Sacred Heart Catholic school in Templeton so he could make his First Holy Communion and be confirmed. He graduated from eighth grade at the age of 12. However, due to the hardships of the Great Depression and the need to support his family, he was unable to continue his formal education.

After school, he helped his father with farming, doing field work with horses and mules. They raised hogs, cattle, milk cows, and chickens. They planted corn with a two-row planter and picked the corn by hand. They had no electricity and used an outhouse. They had a wood and coal stove in the living room, but no heat in the upstairs bedrooms.

The family bought their first car in 1928, a new Whippet. In 1941, his father bought a farm west of Manning.

Leo was drafted into the Army in 1945 during World War II, and after Basic Training at Camp Maxey in Texas, he boarded a Kaiser Liberty Ship in San Francisco headed for somewhere in the Pacific. During the trip, Japan surrendered, and they were diverted to Japan. He was stationed in Tokyo for about a year, doing guard duty. The city was totally deserted and much of the city was destroyed. Soon after he was discharged from the Army in 1946, his father died suddenly, and he took over the farming and the farm business for his mother.

He married Darlene Haberl on September 11, 1951, when he was 27, and Darlene was 20. They honeymooned in the Black Hills and Yellowstone. For the first several years of their marriage, they lived in a house about a mile from the home place. The first four of the nine children were born there. Leo’s mother moved to Manning, and in January 1960, Leo and Darlene moved to the home place. They lived and farmed there until they retired in 1988. In 1996, they moved to the house on May Street in Manning.

Leo was a life-long learner, always reading articles, newspapers, and anything he could find on farming and the latest technology. Despite (and maybe because of) his shortened formal education, he made sure each of the nine children had some kind of post-high school education.

He enjoyed morning coffee with local farmers in Aspinwall and at the Corner Café. He was an usher and active member of Sacred Heart Church and the Knights of Columbus. He was past president from 1974-75 and active member of the Manning VFW Post 3517 (Veterans of Foreign Wars).

Leo and Darlene loved traveling across the United States by car. Each year, they embarked on a trip to Las Vegas with Leo’s siblings, often extending their journey to explore new destinations. Over time, they visited all the lower 48 states. They also cherished taking family vacations to memorable spots with their children and grandchildren.

In November 2024, Leo and Darlene moved from their home in Manning to Regency Park in Carroll. It was there that Leo passed away peacefully on Tuesday, January 21, 2025, at the remarkable age of 100 years, five months, and 15 days.

Leo was preceded in death by parents, Henry and Ida Willenborg; siblings: Bernice (Myron) Naber, Sally (Herman) Lampe, Edna (Ray) Tigges, Henry Willenborg Jr., Marvin (Norma) Willenborg, and Jeanette (Barney) Lampe; daughter, Patty Axman; great-granddaughter, Grace Marshall; and brother-in-law, Gene Huelshorst.

He is survived by his wife of 73 years, Darlene Willenborg; eight children: Dale (Dianne) Willenborg, Ron Willenborg, Linda (George) Wolf, Kathy (Ben) Puck, Steve (Barb) Willenborg, Lori (Keith) Schreck, Ken (Christy Rose) Willenborg, and Theresa (Rod German) Nash; son-in-law, Terry (Kathie) Axman; 25 grandchildren; 43 great-grandchildren; sister, Elaine Huelshorst; in-laws: Ardella Willenborg, Norma Anthofer, Rita (Art) Bruch, Bernie Haberl, Erwin (Mary-Jane) Haberl, LeRoy (Carol) Haberl, and Ed (Annette) Haberl.

Visitation will be from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. on Friday, January 24, 2025, at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Manning with a Knights of Columbus Rosary to begin at 7:00 p.m. Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, January 25, 2025, also at church. Military Honors will follow in the Sacred Heart Cemetery in Manning. Memorial contributions may be sent to the family, who will allocate them to the organizations that held the most meaning for Leo.