LANCASTER, Wis. -- Robert G. "Bob" Leibfried, 79, of Lancaster, died Thursday, Nov. 12, 2009, at The Finley Hospital, Dubuque.
Services will be at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 21, at St. Clement's Catholic Church, Lancaster, with the Rev. William Seipp officiating. Private family burial will be at a later date in St. Clement's Cemetery, Lancaster, where military rites will be accorded. There will be no public visitation prior to the funeral service. Family and friends are invited to a reception following the funeral in the St. Clement's gymnasium. The Schwartz Funeral Home, Lancaster, is in charge of arrangements.
He was born on April 17, 1930, in Potosi, son of Walter and Catherine (Reynolds) Leibfried. He married Marcella "Sally" Burggraf on July 2, 1955, at St. Charles Catholic Church in Cassville.
In 1947, he enlisted in the Marines and celebrated his 18th birthday in China. He served in the First Marine Division from 1947 to 1949, during the Chinese communist takeover, and 1950 to 1952, in the Korean conflict. After returning from service, he was employed at Farley and Loetecher in Dubuque. After the plant closed, he became the building engineer and plant operator at Lancaster Memorial Hospital and enjoyed 26 years in that position. He considered the hospital employees his extended family. He also was morning and athletic bus driver for 19 years for the Lancaster School System.
In 1982, he was diagnosed with Wegener's Vasculitis (inflammation of the small blood vessels). Vasculitis affects the vital organs and in 1987 he suffered complete kidney failure. He was on home dialysis until March 5, 1988, when at the University of Wisconsin-Madison Hospital he received "The Gift of Life" which was a donated cadaver kidney from an anonymous lady who died March 4, 1988. It was a successful transplant.
He was a member of the William Pollock Veterans of Foreign Wars Post No. 2344 of Lancaster and the North China Marine Association. He also was a former member of the Lancaster Fire Department.
He enjoyed hunting and fishing trips to Canada with his son, Mike, in earlier years. In later years, he spent many hours watching history documentaries. He always accepted life as it was handed to him and was uncomplaining.
He was most grateful for the loving care and thoughtfulness of wife, Sally, and the support of his entire family.
Surviving are his wife, Sally; a loving son, Michael R. and his wife, Skippy, who was a very special person in his life; two grandsons, Robert M., of Casper Wyo., and Kurt W., who were the center of his life; his mother, Catherine; four sisters, Catherine "Kate" (Larry "Laker" Schildgen) Schindler and Mary (Rodger) Janssen, all of Lancaster, Helen (Donavan) Krohn, Verona, and Joan (Leonard) Stich, of Morrisville, Pa.; his sisters-in-law, Marita Seitz, of Prairie du Chien, and Dolores (Jiggs) Hampton, of Lancaster; a brother-in-law, Norbert (Dot) Burggraf, of Cave Creek, Ariz.; and many nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his father, Walter; a brother, Thomas; a niece, Sharon Krohn; his father and mother-in-law, Arthur and Laura (Kelly) Burggraf; a brother-in-law, Frank Seitz; and a brother and sister-in-law, Arnold (Dolores) Burggraf.
Memorials may be given to the Wisconsin Kidney Foundation in memory of Bob Leibfried.
Online condolences may be left for the family at www.martinschwartzfuneralhomes.com
Bob had care from the medical field that was second to none. How proud and grateful we are to the staff at Grant Community clinic, Grant Regional Health Center in Lancaster and Tri State Dialysis in Platteville. Compassion was shown at a place he worked for so many years. They were like his extended family.
