Leonard Plueger, 85, of Le Mars, IA and Suwanee, GA, requested to enter Heaven’s gates on June 6, 2024, and God granted Leonard’s wish on June 8, 2024, during a short stay at Happy Siesta in Remsen IA. Leonard’s earthly body suffered from Congestive Heart Failure and Kidney disease which have now been cured in Leonard’s spiritual body by our heavenly father.
Funeral service will be at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, June 19, 2024, at Christ Lutheran Church – Grant Township, rural Le Mars, Iowa. Vicar Grace Baumgartel will officiate. Burial with military honors provided by the Wasmer American Legion Post 241 of Le Mars and the Heeren-McHale-Wilkens American Legion Post 724 will be in Christ Lutheran Cemetery. Visitation with the family present will begin at 4:00 p.m. on Tuesday, June 18, 2024, at Rexwinkel Funeral Home in Le Mars. There will be a Prayer Service at 7:00 p.m. Visitation will resume from 9:30 a.m. until service time on Wednesday at the church. Arrangements are with the Rexwinkel Funeral Home in Le Mars. Expressions of sympathy can be extended to the family through www.rexwinkelfh.com.
Leonard Charles Plueger was born August 15, 1938, to Freida (Freiburg) and (Carl) Charles Plueger in a farmhouse, a few miles northwest of Le Mars. He attended Le Mars Community schools, helped his father and brother Ernie on the family farm, and proudly served in the Iowa National Guard for six years (1959-1965), CO. A 133rd Infantry.
On December 30th, 1959, Leonard married Donna Carol Ann Juzek at St. John’s Lutheran Church in Merrill, IA after meeting at a dance in Brunsville, IA. After marriage, Leonard and Donna were dairy farmers. The farm consisted of 160 acres; with a farmhouse, barn (with milk room), chicken coop, hog house, and other buildings. Leonard milked about 20 dairy cows daily and raised about 20 sows & numerous chickens and ducks. As with most farms, there were also cats and several dogs. Leonard also grew corn, oats, and beans. The couple proudly raised their family of six (five surviving) children on this farm, which was northwest of Le Mars. In 1982 Leonard held an auction, stopped agricultural farming, and moved a couple miles north to an acreage. Leonard was proud to be a farmer his whole life.
Leonard moved with his family from the country to Le Mars proper in 1988. After Leonard’s farming career ended, Leonard worked at two local colleges as a custodian from 1987 until his retirement due to health reasons, after surgery on his lower back to remove a benign tumor. Leonard made an impression on the college students, as one of the dormitory residents wrote a paper outlining good and bad, and Leonard was the student’s example of good.
Leonard enjoyed ballroom music, dancing, playing cards, attending Westmar basketball and football games, visiting with friends and neighbors, and helping his children with their newspaper routes.
During retirement, on nice days Leonard could be found sitting outside enjoying the weather or tending to an acreage west of Hinton IA on his John Deere 50 tractor, where he maintained a farmhouse and 40 acres of pastureland.
Three years after the passing of his first wife Donna, Leonard married his second wife, Patty (Durr) Stabe, on October 15th, 2005, at Christ Lutheran Church, Grant township. The couple resided in Le Mars until health issues caused them to separate in 2020.
Leonard spent most of the last three years of his life in Suwanee GA with his son Dean and his family. In Georgia, Leonard enjoyed attending his grandchildren’s school events, taking naps, reading his bible in the morning, watching the four cats play, talking with friends and family back home, eating dessert, attending Molly B polka concerts, flirting with his caregivers, and just being part of a family.
Leonard was a lifelong member of Christ Lutheran Church, Grant township where he demonstrated his faith by his regular attendance and charitable donations. Through his encouragement, his first and second wives were baptized after marrying Leonard. In later years he occasionally attended the First Baptist Church of Le Mars, as it was closer and easier to attend in the winter months. Leonard also attended Christ the Lord Lutheran Church of Lawrenceville GA. Leonard’s heart was as big as they come, and he followed Jesus’ direction to “turn the other cheek” (Matthew 5:38). He was also quick to forgive and forget.
Left to celebrate his life and legacy are his daughters Barbara (Clee) Thomas, Huntington Beach, CA and children Trey, Trent, Savannah, and Jaiden; Becky (Shawn) Olson, Le Mars and children Bryce and Brett; and sons Daniel (Krista) Plueger, Le Mars, and children Hailey and Jacob; David (Laura) Plueger, North Sioux City, SD; and Dean (Marie) Plueger, Suwanee, GA and children Arabella and Eliana; Surviving siblings include Charlene Durr, Robert Plueger, Dennis (Marilynn) Plueger of Le Mars and brother Arlen (Starla) Plueger of MN and many nieces and nephews.
Leonard was preceded in death by his parents, both wives Donna and Patty, a son Gary (in infancy) and siblings Ernie Plueger, Joseph Plueger (in infancy) and Bernice Knutson.
