Carl E. Graesser, age 81 died Wednesday morning, March 23, 2005 at Mercy Medical Center in Cedar Rapids, following a sudden illness. Funeral Services: 10:00 A.M. Friday, March 25, 2005 at the Middle Amana Church, Middle Amana with Elder Tony Berger officiating. Burial will be in the Middle Amana Cemetery. Friends may call from 2 to 6 P.M. Thursday, March 24, 2005 at the Middle Amana Church. A memorial fund has been established. Kloster Funeral Home, Marengo is in charge of arrangements.

He is survived by his wife, Dorothy, a son, Joel of Oxford; two daughters, Nancy Graesser of Oxford and Colleen Langreck and husband Kenneth of Marengo; 6 grandchildren, Dustin Langreck and wife Kathy of Blairstown, Shannon Langreck, Brooke Langreck and Brandi Langreck of Marengo and Jessica and Megan Graesser of Middle Amana. In addition, he is survived by two brothers, Ivan Graesser of Marion, and Robert Graesser and wife Darlene of West Amana and a sister, Ellen Patik of Cedar Rapids. He was preceded in death by his parents and two brothers in childhood.

Carl Ernest Graesser was born December 25, 1923 in West Amana, the son of Carl and Emilie Schoenfelder Graesser. He received his education in the West Amana School and attended Amana High School. He served in the U.S. Army during World War II from 1943 to 1946. He served in the U.S. Air Force from 1947 to 1951. Carl married Dorothy Trumpold on February 24, 1951 at Lowry Air Force Base in Denver, CO. When he returned to the Amanas, he was employed by Jake Selzer Construction in Fairfax for several years. He then worked as a carpenter for the Amana Builders for many years and then as a security guard at the Amana Refrigeration Plant, retiring in 1987. Following retirement, Carl and his wife worked at REC in Amana. He was a member of the Amana Church Society and enjoyed gardening and spending time with his grandchildren.