[Excerpt from his Obituary 1919-2009]
Leo Woodrow Handke was born to Henry and Edna (Downing) Handke on June 6, 1919, near Oto, Iowa. He was the sixth of 13 children. He was raised in the Oto area and attended school there.
In 1941, he married Margaret Farber. He worked for Matt Drea until 1944, when he enlisted in the U.S. Army. He was a Browning automatic rifleman with the 137th Infantry, Company B and fought from Omaha Beach to the outskirts of Berlin. His discharge papers credit him with a Purple Heart Medal and three Bronze Star Medals for valor in France, Belgium and Germany. He was one of eight Handke brothers who served their country in World War II. After the war, he worked for Woodbury County. This career lasted for 34 years until his retirement.
Source: The Sioux City Journal, August 29, 2009
