Lela Ruth (Fenton) Ponsetto, 1928-2011

Daily Iowegian – 31 October 2011

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  CENTERVILLE — Lela Ponsetto, 83, of Montrose, and a former Jerome and Centerville resident, died on Friday, Oct. 28, 2011 at Montrose Health Care Center in Montrose.
  She was born the daughter of Otha and Myrtle (Dochterman) Fenton Sr. on July 1, 1928 near Udell. She graduated from the Mystic Community School.
  On Sept. 22, 1946 Lela was united in marriage to John Ponsetto in Corydon. They lived and farmed in the Jerome area for many years. She was a homemaker and a member of the St. Mary's Catholic Church in Centerville.

Lela Ruth (Fenton) Ponsetto

  She was preceded in death by: her parents; husband, John Ponsetto on March 22, 2005; brothers, Otha Fenton Jr., Lyle Fenton and Paul Fenton; and a sister, Barbara Allen
  Lela is survived by: her sisters, Beverly McFall of Montrose, and Colleen Bryant of Niceville, Fla.; also several nieces, nephews and cousins.
  Funeral services will be held on Monday, Oct. 31, 2011 at 11 a.m. at the Schmidt Family Funeral Home in Centerville with Fr. Dennis Schaab officiating. Burial will follow in the Jerome Cemetery at Jerome. Visitation was held on Sunday, Oct. 30, 2011 from 4-8 p.m. at the funeral home.

Gravestone of Lela Ruth & John Ponsetto

in Jerome Cemetery

  Memorials can be made to either the Parkinson's Association or Jerome Cemetery and can be left at or mailed to the funeral home. The Schmidt Family Funeral Home of Centerville, Iowa is caring for the Ponsetto family at this time and condolences can be sent at: schmidtfamilyfuneralhome.com.

William Francis Duncan, 1901-1952

Northwest Arkansas Times - 22 December 1952
Fayetteville, Arkansas

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  Rogers [Special] -- William Francis Duncan, member of the Rogers City Council, died at 1 o'clock this morning [22 December 1952] in the Rogers Memorial Hospital after an illness of about three months.  He was born in [Johns Township], Appanoose County, Iowa, [on 21 February 1901], son of Francis [Marion] and Delilah McCurn [McKern] Duncan, and came to Rogers in 1936 from Illinois. He had been general sales supervisor of Consolidated Product Company, Danville, IN, for the past 19 years. He was a member of the Masonic Lodge and a Shriner. 

  Survivors include his wife, Mrs. Irene [Dorothy Dugan] Duncan; a daughter, Patricia, of the home; a son, Howard Duncan of Liberal, Kan.; and four sisters: Mrs. B. O. Buck of Nuna [Numa], Iowa, and Mrs. O. L. Frye, Mrs. Joe Doinsetto [Ponsetto], and Mrs. William Brown, all of Jerome, Iowa.

  Funeral services will be conducted tomorrow at 3 p.m. in the Callison-Porter Funeral Chapel by the Rev. Alfred Gerdel, pastor of the First Presbyterian Church. Burial will be in Rogers Cemetery.

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  Note: According to OneWorldTree on Ancestry.com, William Francis Duncan married in September 1939 in Rogers, Arkansas, Irene Dorothy Dugan who was born 24 December 1917 in Montrose, Henry County, Missouri, daughter of Thomas Henry Dugan and Etta May Hendrick, and died 22 May 1980 in Springfield, Missouri.

Betty J. Plotnik Ponsetto, 1927-2010

Daily Iowegian - 7 April 2010

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CENTERVILLE — Betty J. Ponsetto, 82, of Centerville, passed away Sunday, April 4, 2010 at Mercy Medical Center in Centerville.

  Betty was born in Browerville, Minn. to Robert and Fern (Valentine [Voelk]) Plotnik on May 7, 1927. She received her education from Mystic High School in 1945. Betty married Joe Ponsetto. She enjoyed working with ceramics, bowling and time spent with her family and her dog.
  Betty is survived by two step-children; Johnny L. Ponsetto (Lucy) of Newton, Jackie Clark (Grant) of Davenport, four step-grandchildren, a sister, Jerry Ann Taylor of East Peoria, Ill. and a niece. She was preceded in death by her husband, Joseph L. Ponsetto, son Vance "Butch" Ponsetto and two step-sons, Danny and Larry Ponsetto.
  Graveside services will be held at 10 a.m. Thursday, April 8, at Jerome Cemetery with the Rev. Kathy Franzenburg officiating. Memorials may be given to the family which will be designated at a later date and can be mailed to Thomas Funeral Home, 23548 Highway 5, P.O. Box 125, Centerville, IA 52544. Condolences may be left at thomasfh.com.

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Gravestone in Jerome Cemetery

Mike Ponsetto, 1893-1981

Daily Iowegian - 11 March 1981

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  Mike Ponsetto, 87, a long-time resident of the Jerome community, died Tuesday, March 10, 1981 at th Centerville Care Center.

  Born Sept. 21, 1893 in Italy, he was the son of Frank and Lucy Ponsetto. On Jan. 30, 1915 he married Eleanor Nobile in Jerome and she preceded him in death Feb. 23, 1981.

  He was a retired coal miner and a member of the St. William's Catholic Church in Numa.

  Survivors include one daughter, Louise Radwick of Davenport,; three sons, Leon Ponsetto of Davenport, John Ponsetto of rural Seymour and Richard Ponsetto of Russellville, Ark.; 10 grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren.

  He was also preceded in death by his parents and one son.

  The funeral will be Thursday at 10:30 a.m. from the St. Mary's Catholic Church. Rosary services will be at 7 p.m. Wednesday at Johnson's Funeral Home. Father Michael Volkmer will officiate. Burial in Jerome Cemetery.

Fern Voelk Valentine, 1908-1984

Daily Iowegian - September 1984

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  Fern Valentine, 76, a resident of Just Here Apts. on Park Avenue, Centerville, died at her home Sunday, Sept. 2, 1984.

  Born in Avon, Minn. April 12, 1908, she was the daughter of Jacob and Anna Brunner Voelk. She was married to Robert Plotnik in Richmond, Minn., in 1924, and was married to Lester Masur in Minneapolis, Minn. in 1936. She was married to Louie Valentine in Des Moines April 1, 1944, and he preceded her in death Feb. 19, 1978.

  She was a member of St. Francis Catholic Church in Mystic, and for many years was a member of the Centerville B.P.W. Club. She had worked in the newspaper and job printing office in Mystic many years ago, and for many years owned and operated the Valentines' Fabric Shop on the north side of the square in Centerville.

  Survivors include two daughters, Jerry Taylor of East Peoria, Ill.,; and Betty Ponsetto of Centerville; three stepchildren, Mrs. Tony (Tressie) Kruzich of Centerville; John Valentine of Rock Island, Ill.; and Louis Valentine of rural Plano; one brother, Arnold Voelk of Minneapolis; three sisters, Lucille Stark of Minneapolis, Irene Sweeney of Burbank, Calif.; and Evelyn Gragson of Peoria, Ill.; two grandchildren, six step-grandchildren, three great-grandchildren, and eight step-great-grandchildren.

  She was preceded in death by her husbands, parents, two brothers, one grandson, Vance Ponsetto, and one step-grandson.

  Services will be held Tuesday, Sept. 4, at 10 a.m. at St. Francis Catholic Church in Mystic, with Father Al Jungworth officiating. Burial will be in Jerome Cemetery. Rosary services were held at Johnson-Lange Funeral Home in Centerville Monday at 7 p.m.

Larry Joe Ponsetto, 1939-1977

Daily Iowegian - September 1977

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  Services for Larry Joe Ponsetto, 38, of 3804 Red Bud Road, Cedar Rapids, will be Saturday, 1:30 p.m., at First Lutheran Church in Centerville, with the Rev. Frederick H. Schauer officiating. Burial will be in Jerome Cemetery. The casket will not be opened. Visitation will be at the Johnson Funeral Home in Centerville Friday, 7 to 8 p.m.

  Ponsetto was a former resident of this community. He died Thursday, September 1, 1977, in St. Lukes Hospital in Cedar Rapids.

  Born in Centerville July 24, 1939, he was the son of LeRoy and Alyne Barnshouse Ponsetto. He was married to Margaret Ayers in Centerville October 12, 1957, and she survives.

  Also surviving are two children, Rick and Carol at home, his father, LeRoy Ponsetto and stepmother, Betty Ponsetto of Centerville; his mother, Alyne Price of Davenport; two brothers, Danny Ponsetto of Davenport and John Ponsetto of Newton; and a sister, Jackie Mulder of Bettendorf. He was preceded in death by a stepbrother, Corporal Vance Ponsetto, who lost his life in service.

  He was a salesman for the Westinghouse Corp. and was a member of the Cedar Rapids Lutheran Church. Memorials will be given to the cancer fund, and may be left at the funeral home.

Cpl. Vance W. Ponsetto, 1946-1967

Daily Iowegian - 27 December 1966
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What's a Lifetime of Fighting?
Corporal Vance Ponsetto Found Out In 12 Months

By Charles B. De Puy

  Centerville is like Heaven must be, to Vance Ponsetto, son of Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Leroy Ponsetto, of 1227 West Van Buren.  It would be to anyone who had spent 12 months "out in the field" near Da Nang in Vietnam.

  Just warm food, a clean bed, freedom from constant fear and alert. These things alone make it seem pretty wonderful.

  Corporal Ponsetto has slept on the ground. There was no special time for sleeping. For instance you might have to catch a few winks in the daytime because you were maneuvering during the night. Then again the action would be in the daytime and you could catch a few winks at night. You were never free from alertness and fear. The enemy was anywhere and everywhere. You never could tell for sure. You ate C-rations. You didn't bother with any cooking and it wasn't safe anyhow. You just get hungry enough to make even C-rations taste good. Then there were the days when you got "pinned down" and didn't even have a chance to raise your head or hand. There were booby traps everywhere you went and if that wasn't bad enough there were deadly poisonous snakes to share the land with. And one day there was contact with the VC and a hand grenade exploded too close and you got injuries to hands, ears and face and a purple heart out of that.

  Vance was a sniper and was also in reconnaissance, and intelligence action. Nothing could have had more hazards.

  The professional Viet Cong fighters, though small, are tough and they're good soldiers. That didn't make Vance's duties any easier.

  A guy comes home aftr 12 months of that and 12 months can seem like a long lifetime under those conditions.

  You feel like walking up to him, sticking out your hand and thanking her for going thru all that so that you could stay safely at home, eat warm meals, have a good bed and not have to listen and look for death 24 hours a day.

  That's about it. Cpl. Vance Ponsetto is home. The life that he knew starts all over again. He had forgotten what it was like. He's assigned now to Charleston, S.C., which is a Naval weapon station. He'll study there and what assignments lie ahead only time will tell, but this man has already served a lifetime. That should be enough.

 To the folks at home he brought a big gift ... continuing liberty.

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Daily Iowegian - 6 February 1967

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Escapes Death In Vietnam

Cpl. Vance Ponsetto Killed in Carolina

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  A soldier who twice escaped death in Vietnam was killed in a truck accident while on duty at the Naval Weapons Station in Charleston, South Carolina, Friday night, February 3, 1967. He was Cpl. Vance William Ponsetto, 20, son of Mr. and Mrs. Joeseph LeRoy Ponsetto of this city.

  Cpl. Ponsetto was saved from death at one time by a small Bible which his mother had sent him. He had placed the Bible in a shirt pocket, and this deflected an enemy bullet, which otherwise probably would have inflicted a fatal wound. He later was wounded in action, and was awarded the Purple Heart.

  He returned to the United States December 16, 1966, and at that time was the subject of a feature article in the Iowegian. He had been stationed at the South Carolina base since his return.

  According to report, Cpl. Ponsetto was on duty at the time of the fatal accident. He was a passenger in a pickup truck which missed a curve and crashed. He died a few hours after the accident.

  Cpl. Ponsetto was born in Centerville October 12, 1946, and was 20 years, three months and 21 days of age. He was a graduate of the Centerville schools, a member of the First Lutheran Church, and had been in service since June, 1965. He spent 13 months in Vietnam.

  Surviving are his parents, Joseph LeRoy and Betty Ponsetto, of 1227 West Van Buren, Centerville; one sister, Jackie McNeff of Muscatine, Ia.; three brothers, Danny and Joey, both of Davenport, and Johnny of Newton; his grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. Louie Valentine of Mystic, Ia., and Mr. and Mrs. Joe Ponsetto, of Jerome; four nephews and two nieces.

  The body will be returned to the Johnson Funeral Home here for burial.  Funeral plans will be announced later when it is known when the body will arrive. 

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Daily Iowegian - 7 February 1967

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Cpl. Ponsetto Rites Planned

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  Funeral services for Cpl. Vance William Ponsetto, United States Marine Corps, will be held Wednesday, February 8, 1967, 2:00 p.m., fromj the First Lutheran Church with Rev. M. H. Suhr officiating. Burial will be in the Jerome Cemetery with Military Rites.

  Friends may call at the Johnson Funeral Home Tuesday evening, 7:00 to 9:00 p.m., and Wednesday from 9:00 until 11:00 a.m.  The casket will be closed at the beginning of the service.

  Cpl. Ponsetto was killed in a truck accident while on duty at the Naval Weapons Station in Charleston, South Carolina, Friday night, February 3, 1967.

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Gravestone in Jerome Cemetery

Glendoris Bailey Buck, 1879-1962

Daily Iowegian - 25 June 1962

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Mrs. Buck Taken at 82

  Glendoris Irene Buck, 82, of Numa, Iowa, passed away Sunday, June 24, at the Golden Age Nursing Home, where she had been a patient for three weeks.

  Mrs. Buck was born in Princeton, Mo., the daughter of Jackson and [Delila] Ann McKern Bailey, and was married to Charley Ewurs who preceded her in death. Later she was married to Benjamin Otto Buck, who also preceded her in 1951. She was also preceded in death by one daughter, Anna Mae; one son, Clarence; and one brother.  She is survived by a son, Paul Ewurs, Royal Lake, Ill.; a daughter, Mrs. Georgia Compton, of Franklin Grove, Ill.; three sisters, Mrs. Edith Fry, Mrs. Hazel Ponsetto, Mrs. Mary Brown, all of Jerome, Iowa; ten grandchildren, 15 great-grandchildren and three great-great-grandchildren.

  Mrs. Buck had spent the past two winters with a granddaughter, Mrs. Bernice Butler, of 1808 South 16th.

  Funeral services will be Tuesday, June 26, at 2 p.m., from the Numa Christian Church with the Rev. Orval Walker officiating. Burial will be in the Jerome Cemetery. The body is at the Miller-Wehrle Funeral Home.

Pete Ambrose Ponsetto, 1916-1976

 Daily Iowegian - 30 August 1976

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  Peter Ambrose Ponsetto, 1204 38th Street, Rock Island, Ill., died Saturday, August 28, 1976, in Veteran's Hospital, Iowa City, at the age of 59.  She (sic) was a former resident of this community.

  Born in Jerome October 22, 1916, he was the son of Mike and Eleanor Nobile Ponsetto. He had been employed in Rock Island as an auto mechanic for Neu Oldsmobile Company. He was a veteran of World War II.

  He was married to Myrtle Whitall in Centerville, November 6, 1946, and she survives.  Other survivors include one daughter, Mrs. Darvin (Suzette) Brummer, Storm Lake, Ia.; one sister, Louise Radwick, Davenport; three brothers, Leon Ponsetto, Davenport; Johnny Ponsetto, Route 1 Seymour; and Richard Ponsetto, Dover, Ark; and his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Mike Ponsetto, Jerome.

  Services will be at 10 a.m. Tuesday at Johnson Funeral Home, with Father Albert Fey officiating. The rosary will be Monday evening, 7 p.m., at Johnson Funeral Home. Burial will be in Jerome Cemetery.

Louise Ponsetto Radwick, 1917-2006

The Quad-City Times [IA] - 9 April 2006

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  DAVENPORT, Iowa -- There will be no services of visitation for Louise Radwick, 88, of Davenport. Internment will be at a later date at Davenport Memorial Park Cemetery. Louise M. Radwick went to be with the Lord and Savior Jesus on Friday, April 7, 2006, at Manor Care, Davenport.

  Louise M. Ponsetto was born on September 22, 1917, in Jerome, Iowa, the daughter of Mike and Eleanor (Nobile) Ponsetto. She was united in marriage to Ralph (Rudy) Radwick on January 13, 1940, in Centerville, Iowa.

  She was a member of Our Lady of Victory Catholic Church, Davenport.

  She is survived by her husband, Ralph, of Davenport; daughter, Eleanor Blozevich, of Davenport; Rita Macdougall, of Bettendort; and son, Mike Radwick, of Davenport. She is also survived by her grandchildren, Tammy Hoffmann, of Donahue, Iowa, Cathy Gott, of Davenport, Rick Blozevich, of Bettendorf, Jamie Blozevich, of Davenport, Jeff Blozevich, of Davenport, Joe Macdougall of San Diego, Calif., Kim Noble, of Hartford, Conn., and Robb Macdougall of Davenport, and nine great-grandchildren.

  She was preceded in death by her parents and brothers, Pete, Leon, John and Richard Ponsetto.l

  She was a loving mother, grandmother and great-grandmother.

Richard F. Ponsetto, 1931-1995

   Richard F. Ponsetto was born 30 March 1931 in Jerome, Appanoose County, Iowa, son of Mike Ponsetto and Eleanor Nobile, died 5 February 1995 in Russellville, Pope County, Arkansas, and was buried in Oakland Cemetery in Russellville, Pope County, Arkansas.

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Daily Iowegian - February 1995

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  Richard Ponsetto, 63, of Russellville, Ark., died Sunday, Feb. 5, 1995, at AMI St. Mary's Regional Medical Center in Russellville.

  He was a native of Jerome.

  Survivors include two sons, Alan and Gene Ponsetto, both of Russellville; a daughter, Christina Ponsetto of Russellville; a brother, John Ponsetto of Seymour; and a sister, Louise Radwick of Davenport.

  He was preceded in death by his wife, Betty.

  He was a retired branch manager of the Worthen Bank. He most recently served as deacon in the Alliance Church.  He was a U.S. Air Force veteran of the Korean Conflict.

  Funeral services will be held at 10 a.m. Wednesday, Feb. 8, at the Alliance Church with the Rev. Paul Northcut officiating.  Burial will be in Oakland Cemetery in Russellville.

  Arrangements were made by the Shinn Funeral Service of Russellville.

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  Mildred Dooley Cathcart in her column, Visiting with Neighbors, wrote on 24 February 1995 in the Daily Iowegian:  

  Friends were sorry to hear of the death of another former Jerome resident, Richard Ponsetto, who had lived for a number of years in Arkansas.  His wife, too, died not too long ago with cancer.  Richard was visiting with his brother, John, when we had our first Jerome reunion.  He came for a short time and we were all happy to see him.

  Many of you will remember the Mike Ponsetto family and their children, Peter, Mary Louise, Leon, Jim and Richard.  Now only Mary Louise and John survive.

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  SSDI:  Richard F. Ponsetto, born 30 March 1931, died 5 February 1995, SSN issued in Iowa (Before 1951), Last Residence: Russellville, Pope, Arkansas 72801.

John Ponsetto, 1921-2005

Schmidt Family Funeral Home 
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  John Ponsetto, age 83, of Centerville, Iowa, died Tuesday, March 22, 2005, at Mercy Medical Center in Centerville, Iowa. He was born the son of the late Michael A. Ponsetto and the late Elenora (Nobile) Ponsetto on December 27, 1921 in Jerome, Iowa. He attended Jerome Community Schools through the eighth grade.  

  On September 22, 1946, John was united in marriage to Lela Fenton at Corydon, Iowa. He served in the U.S. Army during World War II and received the Purple Heart and the Bronze Star. He was employed as a farmer and coal miner. He was a member of St. Mary's Catholic Church in Centerville, Iowa.  John was preceded in death by: his parents; brothers Peter, Leon, and Richard Ponsetto.  He is survived by: his wife, Lela Ponsetto, of Centerville, Iowa; and a sister, Louise Radwick, of Davenport, Iowa; and several nieces and nephews.

  Mass of Resurrection will be held on Saturday, March 26, 2005, at 1:00 P.M., at the Schmidt Family Funeral Home in Centerville, Iowa with Fr. Ron Will, C.PP.S., officiating. Burial will follow at the Jerome Cemetery in Jerome, Iowa.

  Visitation will be held on Friday, March 25, 2005, from 1:00 till 8:00 P.M., with the family present from 6:00 till 8:00 P.M., at the Schmidt Family Funeral Home in Centerville, Iowa.

  Memorials can be made to the Jerome Cemetery Association or Alzheimer's Association and can be left at or mailed to the Schmidt Family Funeral Home at 501 North 18th Street in Centerville, Iowa 52544

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Gravestone in Jerome Cemetery

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Social Security Death Index

The SSDI gives his birth date as 27 December 1921, his death date as 22 March 2005, and his last residence as Seymour, Wayne, IA 52590. His SSN was issued in Iowa before 1951.