Bronner, Leonard Joseph 1929 - 2025

BRONNER, CITEK, FREDRICKSON, KOUDELKA, HOUDEK, GARDNER, ZIEMER, RANALLA, BROWN, MASON, SEMELROTH

Posted By: Joy Moore (email)
Date: 1/17/2025 at 11:29:08

Leonard Bronner, age 95, of Cresco, Iowa passed away during the early morning hours on January 11, 2025 surrounded by family.

Leonard Joseph Bronner was born on December 3, 1929 on the family farm in rural Cresco. He was the fourth of five children born to Rudolph and Agnes (Citek) Bronner. He attended country school and graduated from Cresco High School with the Class of 1948. During his high school years, Leonard participated in FFA, football, and wrestling. Following graduation, he worked for a short time at Rath Packing Plant in Waterloo, Iowa. In 1951, at the age of 21, he was drafted into the United States Army. Serving during the Korean War where he was stationed in Germany. Following his time in the service, Leonard returned home to join the family farming operation.

He met the love of his life while attending a dance at the Terp in Austin, MN. On February 6, 1965 he married his dancing partner of 54 years, Carol Ann Fredrickson in Rochester, MN. To this union four children were born. Together they raised their family on the farm in rural Cresco.

Farming was forever his way of life, from raising cattle, hogs and sheep, to driving tractors and working in the fields. He truly lived for his days on the farm. These times weren’t always easy; it took a lot of hard work, which attributes to his strong work ethic. As the years went by he enjoyed reading every farm magazine he could get his hands on, over and over again. Leonard was lucky enough to still be farming until the very end. Leonard enjoyed looking out the kitchen window, keeping a keen eye on Raymond and sharing suggestions of how things should be done.

Leonard was a lifelong member of the American Legion and proudly belonged to the Lime Springs Legion Post 545. He looked forward to marching in the Sweet Corn Days parade and other VFW events with the other Legion members each year.

He also looked forward to attending all the local town festivals, going for long car rides, playing a good game of 500 with neighborhood friends, reading the newspapers and keeping informed with all the news on TV. Later in life, he enjoyed playing the card game Garbage with family. He had a strong knowledge of the family lineage and could rattle off the entire family tree. There was no need for ancestry.com, just ask Leonard. He was the last of his family’s generation, and would attribute his longevity to hard work and to never stop moving. He enjoyed his daily coffee with a tablespoon of honey and maybe some blackberry brandy or an Amber Bock beer later in the day.

Leonard was hard on the outside, not hesitant to speak his mind and let you know how he felt. But there was also a tender, sentimental piece to Leonard. He had a big heart, and was willing to help anyone in need. Over the years, he softened up as the grandkids came along.

Survivors include his children: Raymond F Bronner of Cresco, Gretchen (Scott) Koudelka of Hastings, MN, Rachel Houdek of Stewartville, MN and Ursula Gardner of Cresco, five grandchildren: Katelin (Brandon) Ziemer, Courtney (Mitchell) Ranalla, Jennifer (Jake) Brown, Hunter and Gage Houdek, three great-grandchildren: Isabella Ranalla, Sylas and Raelynn Brown, along with his nieces and nephew.

He was preceded in death by his parents, wife Carol in 2019, granddaughter Allie Houdek and his siblings: Grace (Arnold) Mason, Raymond Bronner, Jerome Bronner and Mildred (Don) Semelroth.

Funeral services will be held at 11:00 am on Thursday, January 16, 2025 at St. Matthew’s Lutheran Church in Granger. Visitation will be held prior to services at the church on Thursday morning, beginning at 9:30 am. Burial, including full military honors, will take place at St. Matthew’s Cemetery.

Source: Schmelzer Funeral Home database