Leroy Pedersen

VISITATION

Wednesday, August 9

after 5:00 PM

Family present 5-7 PM

Prayer Service 6:30 PM

Ohde Funeral Home, Kimballton, Iowa

FUNERAL SERVICE

Thursday, August 10

11:00 AM

St. Paul's Lutheran Church

Atlantic, Iowa

INTERMENT

Private family service

Elk Horn Lutheran Cemetery

Leroy Leistad, son of Peder K. and Olga (Leistad) Pedersen, was born on April 4, 1930, in rural Audubon County, Iowa. He graduated from Elk Horn High School in 1948. After high school he worked on his uncles farm for a couple years before taking a job at Pelgas in Atlantic.

On August 26, 1950, Leroy was united in marriage with Clara Kelley of Atlantic. Three children were born to this union. The couple took up residence in Atlantic while he continued with Pelgas until joining the United States Army. After his honorable discharge in 1953, Leroy and Clara moved to Elk Horn to run the Fina Station, establishing Leroys Service. Leroy retired in 1994 after 41 years in business.

Leroy was baptized and confirmed in Elk Horn Lutheran Church and at the time of his death was an active member of St. Pauls Lutheran Church in Atlantic. Church involvement was a significant part of his life. Leroy was a lifelong member of the Better Elk Horn Club. He also served on the Board of Directors of the Salem Lutheran Home, Danish Windmill, Danish Immigrant Museum, and had served on the Marne Elk Horn Telephone Company Board for the past fifteen years. Leroy received a volunteer award from the Danish Immigrant Museum for 1000 hours of volunteer work. He was a shareholder and board member of the AmericInn Motel and Suites of Elk Horn.

Leroys hobbies included traveling with his wife to 47 states, along with a Caribbean cruise and a trip to Aruba. He enjoyed gardening, nature, and sports, especially Dodgers baseball and the Iowa Hawkeyes. He also enjoyed spending as much time as possible with his three grandchildren, Justin, Holly and Jeremiah. Leroy took pride in spending time to help his community and his church.

Following a year-long battle with cancer, Leroy died Sunday, August 6, 2006, at Bergen Mercy Hospital, in Omaha, Nebraska at the age of 76 years, 4 months and 2 days.

Leroy was preceded in death by his parents; infant sister Gudren Pedersen; sister Joyce Strandskov; brother-in-law Paul Nielsen; and nephews Jon Strandskov and Dean Jacobsen.

He is survived by his wife of 55 years Clara Pedersen of Elk Horn; daughter Cindy Murillo of Clarksville, TN; son Pastor Kelley Pedersen of Niobrara, NE; daughter Jody and husband Scot Janssen of Stacyville; three grandchildren: Jeremiah Murillo, and Justin and Holly Janssen; three sisters: Margery and husband Dallas Hansen; Helen Nielsen; and Gudren and husband Warren Jacobsen, all of Elk Horn; many nieces and nephews, other relatives and friends.