Fred Post

May 21, 1919 - July 5, 2012

Funeral services for Fred Post, 93, of Gilmore City will be 10:30 am Monday at St. Paul's Lutheran Church in Rolfe. Burial and military rite will be conducted at Marble Valley Cemetery at Gilmore City. Visitation will be 6-8 pm Sunday at Harris Funeral Home in Gilmore City. Our beloved Father, brother, grandfather and uncle, Fred J. Post was born to Habbe and Mary (Buske) Post on May 21, 1919 at the Post home place in Lizard Township. He had 11 brothers and sisters: Herman, Ben, William, Raymond, Robert, Gerd, John, Albert, Harvey, Marie, and Minnie. He attended the Pocahontas Country School. When he finished with school he worked with his Father on the home place. Later he traveled around to numerous states working as a farm laborer, which instilled in him a love of travel. He loved to hop on his 1946 Harley-Davidson and ride to wherever the wind took him. He joined the Army on January 14, 1941. He was stationed in San Diego as an AA Machine Gunnar before heading overseas in 1944. He fought in Germany under combat conditions in the European Theater Operations and was a B.A.R. Rifleman. He returned to the states in December 1945 at which time he was honorably discharged from the service. He received the following decorations and citations: American Defense Service Ribbon, Victory Medal American Theater Ribbon, European African Middle Eastern Theater Ribbon with two Bronze Battle Stars, one Overseas Service Bar and one Service stripe (Good Conduct Medal). He loved his country and was proud to have served for his beloved United States of America. He passed that love on to his children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. He met the love of his life Jennie Carrubba on a train heading home to see his parents in Gilmore City, Iowa. He was so smitten he did not get off in Gilmore City but continued on to Chicago, Illinois with Jennie. On September 11, 1948 he married Jennie in Chicago, Illinois. They took a three-month honeymoon traveling west until they ran out of money. They settled in San Bernardino, California where Kaiser Steel employed him. Son William was born in 1949 in Redlands, California. In 1951 they moved back to the Gilmore City area and took up farming near Rolfe, Iowa. Doug was born in 1952 and Lisa was born in 1958. Jennie and Fred enjoyed a rich life farming and raising their family. Fred raised his family with the simple philosophy that God was the center of your family and hard work kept you honest. He had a special relationship with his brother Raymond, sister-in-law Tina and Godchildren Karen, Rickey and Allison. Fred and Raymond married sisters (Jennie and Tina) where they lived only 20 miles apart and spent years laughing and loving each other. When he wasn't farming he was taking his family fishing, picnicking, vacationing, and just enjoying his extended family and friends. Upon retirement they purchased a small trailer in a nice retirement village in Mesa, Arizona. In 2001 they moved off the farm and moved to a beautiful ranch home in Ankeny, Iowa. For 15 years they enjoyed the warm Arizona sunshine during the cold winter months until Jennie?s passing in March 18, 2002. Fred was preceded in death by his loving wife Jennie, his parents Habbe and Mary Post, brothers Robert, William, Ben, John, Gerd, Herman, Albert, Harvey and sister Minnie. He is survived by: sons William (Barb) Post, Decorah, IA; Doug (Deb) Post, Norwalk, IA and daughter Lisa (Dana) Lanning, Ankeny, IA. Grandchildren: Amanda (Brent) Hahn, Huxley, IA; Anthony (Marti) Post, Kansas City, Mo.; Amber Post, Minneapolis, MN; Michael Post, Norwalk, IA; Marisa Post, Phoenix, AZ, Jenna (Alejandro) Lanning Ramos, Ankeny, IA; Jeff and Joel Lanning, Ankeny, IA. Great-grandchildren: William, Margaret and Henry Hahn, Huxley, IA and Emmanuel Ramos, Ankeny, IA, his Finnish adopted exchanged student daughter Ulla, sister Marie Martin, Yakima, WA; brother Raymond Post, Humboldt, IA and numerous nieces and nephews. Fred has left behind a legacy of love, laughter and loyalty and will never be forgotten. God bless him as he begins his heavenly life. We thank all who have been a part of Fred's life. Memorials may be designated for St. Paul's Lutheran Church in Rolfe, Iowa, Hospice of Iowa, Mill Pond Retirement Center in Ankeny, Iowa or the Iowa Veterans Honor Flights (sending veterans to Washington, DC).