Laurel J. Fandel

Laurel Jean Fandel, 93, of 620 Briarstone Dr., Mason City, Iowa, died Thursday, Sept. 8, 2016, at the Muse Norris Impatient Unit, Hospice of North Iowa, in Mason City.

A memorial service was held on Monday, Sept. 12, at Epiphany Parish-Holy Family Catholic Church, Mason City, with the Rev. Andrew A-Mensah officiating.  Burial was in Memorial Park Cemetery, Mason City.

Laurel was born Nov. 4, 1922, in Preston, Minn., the daughter of Kelly and Ruth (Bacon) Tessum.  Laurel attended grade school in Winona, Minn., junior high in Madison, Wis., and graduated from Fort Dodge High School in Fort Dodge, Iowa.  When her parents moved back to Minnesota, she worked as a receptionist and telephone operator in Minneapolis.  While working, she attended night school at the University of Minnesota for two years.

She married Cletus J. Fandel, of Mason City, on June 25, 1949.  They had six children.  After the children were in school, Laurel worked for JC Penney’s for 25 years.  Cletus and Laurel especially enjoyed spending many winters in Corpus Christi, Texas, with their Iowa snowbird friends.

She is survived by three sons, C.J. Fandel, Pioneer, Calif., David (Jackie) Fandel, Mason City, and Bradley (Sherrie) Fandel, Garner, Iowa; three daughters, Cynthia Fandel, Mason City, Kelly (David) Kratz, Clear Lake and Kimberly Garner, Mason City; 17 grandchildren; 20 great-grandchildren; a brother-in-law, John Fandel, Golden, Colo.; sister-in-law, Ruth Spartz, Virginia Beach, Va.; as well as many nieces, nephews and friends.

Laurel was preceded in death by her husband, Cletus; parents, Kelly and Ruth (Bacon) Tessum; sisters, Faith Trost and Lois Barlow; a brother, Curt Tessum; mother and father-in-law, John and Dorothy Fandel; sons-in-law, Roger Garner and Bill Peterson; daughter-in-law, Virginia Fandel and sisters-in-law, Marie Meaney and Bernadine Nau.

Hogan-Bremer-Moore Colonial Chapel was in charge of arrangements.