Obituary of Earl R. Brimeyer

HOLY CROSS, IOWA

Earl R. Brimeyer, 82, of Holy Cross, beloved husband, father and grandfather, passed away at home, surrounded by his family on Monday, March 1, 2021.

Visitation will be held from 3:00-7:00 p.m., Thursday, March 4, 2021 at Kramer Funeral Home in Holy Cross. Due to the ongoing pandemic we ask those attending services for Earl please wear a mask and social distance.

Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 11:00 a.m., Friday, March 5, 2021 at Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in North Buena Vista, burial will be in the church cemetery. Rev. Marvin Bries will officiate.

Earl was born December 27, 1938, the son of Fred (Fritz) and Hilda (Tschirgi) Brimeyer. He was the tenth of eleven children and the youngest boy. At the age of 14 he quit school to help his Dad with the family farm after all of his brothers enlisted in the military. On September 29, 1962, he married LaVonne Schultz at the Holy Cross Church.

Earl farmed in North Buena Vista for over 60 years, eventually selling the farm to his three sons. He also worked at the Dubuque Packing Company, Theisen’s Farm and Home and Wal-Mart in Dubuque before retiring. Earl and his family received the Century Family Farm Award at the Iowa State Fair in 2016. He was a member of Immaculate Conception Church in North Buena Vista, the Holy Cross Fire Association and the Knights of Columbus.

Earl was a dedicated husband and family man who loved nothing better than to be surrounded by his family and friends. He was very proud of his children and grandchildren, and it was his greatest pleasure to have everyone gather every Sunday afternoon to share jokes, stories, and LaVonne’s good food. Earl enjoyed playing cards, fishing, hunting, gambling, and doing ‘seek and find’ puzzles. He was a jokester at heart and all of his children and nieces and nephews can tell stories of how he used his sense of humor to even make farm work fun. He always had a joke to share and a smile on his face.

Earl is survived by his wife of 58 years, LaVonne; five children, Tammy (Steve) Juran of Asbury, Randy (Rose) Brimeyer of Holy Cross, Wendy (Jim) Ulbrich of North Buena Vista, Robie (Kim) Brimeyer of Holy Cross, and Rich (Kay) Brimeyer of Holy Cross; six grandchildren, Benjamin Juran, Rachel Juran, Jolene (Brian) Johnson, Anna Rodenberg, Cody Brimeyer, and Morgan Brimeyer; six great-grandchildren, Lily, Archer, Ruby, Lucy, Rudy, and Judy; his siblings, Stella Hefel, Greg Brimeyer, Carol Ellsworth, and Laura (Leon) Sigwarth; brother-in-law, Norbert Tressel; sisters-in-law, Virginia Brimeyer and Shirley Brimeyer; in-laws, Nancy Schultz, Donna (Bob) Schmidt, Connie Klein, Ron (Marilyn) Schultz, Sherry (Mick) Klein, and Cindy (Paul) Ludovissy.

He was preceded in death by his parents; brothers, Alvin Brimeyer, Robert Brimeyer, Nicholas Brimeyer, and Harvey Brimeyer; sisters, Selma Boyce and Mildred Tressel; brothers-in-law, William Boyce, Matthew Hefel, and Rex Ellsworth; sisters-in-law, Verna Brimeyer and Carol Brimeyer; in-laws, Robert and Janice LeGrand, David Schultz, Nicholas and Carol Errthum, and James Klein; and great-grandchildren, Olivia, Max, and Rory Rodenberg.

The family would like to thank everyone in Earl and LaVonne’s families for their love and support through Dad’s journey. We would especially like to thank Cindy Ludovissy, Dr. Eric Engelman, Dr. Frederick Johlin, Unity Point at Home and St. Croix Hospice for their compassion and care.