Obituaries : Donald Fred Franzenburg

Donald Fred Franzenburg, 83, died Thursday, January 12, 2023, at the Keystone Nursing Care Center in Keystone.

Funeral services will be held at 10:30 AM, Tuesday, January, 17, 2023, at St. John Lutheran Church in Keystone, IA. Reverend David Lingard will officiate. Burial will follow in Keystone Cemetery. Visitation will be held from 4:00 until 7:00 PM on Monday at the Phillips Funeral Home in Keystone. A memorial fund has been established.

Don was born on the family farm on August 8, 1939, in Benton County, Iowa, the son of Otto and Lola (Holst) Franzenburg. He was baptized and confirmed at St. John Lutheran, Keystone, where he was a life-long and active member. Following graduation from Keystone High School in 1957, Don began farming.

He was united in marriage to Patricia Ealy on September 12, 1964, at Christ United Methodist Church, in Belle Plaine, Iowa.

Don loved being a farmer and especially enjoyed all aspects of swine production from farrow to finish. He was one of the first to put up a confinement finishing unit in Benton County. The Benton County Pork Producers honored him as a Master Pork Producer in 2008. Don was proud to call Keystone his home and was active in serving his community on the Keystone Savings Bank board, the Keystone Mercantile board, and in various leadership roles at his church. He was part of the group that founded the Keystone Nursing Care Center and served continuously on the board of directors since its inception in 1973. Don served his country in the National Guard from 1962 to 1965. Don's quiet faith and common-sense leadership enriched the lives of his family and community members.

In his spare time, Don enjoyed bowling and playing cards. Above all, he cherished spending time with his family, especially with his grandchildren, and fought hard against his cancer to have extra time with them.

Survivors include his devoted wife Pat; their four children-Eric (Ann) of Van Horne, Kristi (John) Steinbeck of Bellevue, IA, Damian (Deb) Franzenburg of Ames, IA, and Rebecca (Mark) Hess of Overland Park, KS; grandchildren Ellen, Calvin, and Grant Franzenburg, Abraham, William, and Benjamin Steinbeck, Molly and Ryan Franzenburg, and Charlotte, Elise, and Corrine Hess; his sisters, Phyllis Haack of Marengo, IA, Linda (Dennis) Lettow of West Des Moines, IA, and Connie (John) Mullan of Cedar Falls, IA; and many nieces and nephews.

He is preceded in death by his parents, his sister and brother-in-law Anita and Don Senne; and brother-in-law Russell Haack.

The family wishes to thank Pastor David Lingard, the staff at the Keystone Care Center, and Hospice of Campassus for the dedicated care of Don's body and soul in his last weeks of life.

Online condolences: www.phillipsfuneralhomes.com