Carl Kuehl
Carl Kuehl, 86, of Garnavillo and a recent resident of the Elkader Care Center, died Monday, Dec. 16, 2019.
Visitation will be from 4 to 7 p.m., Friday, Jan. 3, at St. Paul Lutheran Church, Garnavillo.
Funeral services will be at 10:30 a.m., Saturday, Jan. 4, at St. Paul's Lutheran Church, Garnavillo with one hour of visitation prior to start of services.
Interment will be at Garnavillo Community Cemetery, Garnavillo.
Arrangements are being handled by Tuecke-Allyn Funeral Home, Garnavillo
Carl was born Jan. 5, 1933, to Louis “Kelly” and Grace (Bowman) Kuehl, in their family home near Elkport. He attended country school through the eight grade and graduated in 1950 from Colesburg High School. Carl served in the United States Army as a radio operator during the Korean Conflict from 1953 to 1955.
Carl was united in marriage to Marilyn Rodas on Sept. 26, 1953, at Hope Lutheran Church in Littleport. Together they raised three children, Marla, Eric, and Kirby.
After his discharge from the Army, Carl worked as a farmhand and in the implement business before venturing out on his own selling and installing barn equipment, milking parlors, silos, and grain bins. He was most proud of the Kuehl Crest milking parlor, silos, and feeding equipment, an installation that was one of the largest in the area at the time. Upon retirement from his farm equipment business, Carl and Marilyn owned and operated the IOCO Speede Shop for 23 years.
A newspaper quote from 2013 stated, “Always be service-minded. It's just something people should do.” Carl was a dedicated community man. He was a member of the Garnavillo Fire Department (1962-2002), 20 years as chief; Garnavillo City Council (1970 to 2013); charter member of the Clayton County Emergency Management Board; reserve officer with the Clayton County Sheriff's Department, 18 years; Clay-Gar American Legion, 62 years; St. Paul's Lutheran Church Council; E-911 board; and the Clayton County Fair Board.
Carl always had a joke or story to share. He enjoyed coffee with his buddies, fixing anything and everything (sometimes with duct tape, glue, zip ties and wire), keeping an ear to the police scanner, and visiting with friends.
Carl is survived by his wife Marilyn; children, Marla (Delbert) Reimer, Elkader, Eric, Garnavillo, and Kirby (Marisa Mack), Portland, Ore.; grandchildren, Nicole (Mike) Kilburg, Derek (Michelle) Reimer, Jacob (Amanda) Kuehl, and Joshua Kuehl; great-grandchildren, Ellie, Kade, Kody, Thylium, and step-great-grandchild, Rhythm. Also surviving are his siblings Kenneth (Velma) Kuehl, Marilyn (Willis) Schrampfer, and Lois (Eddie) Nelson; sisters-in-law, Donna Shaw and Shirley Fosse; as well as many nieces, nephews and cousins.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to the Guttenberg Ambulance Service, MercyOne Ambulance Service of Elkader, or the Garnavillo Fire Department.
The family would like to extend a special thank you to the devoted health care providers of St. Croix Hospice, Kingston Court Assisted Living Center, and the Elkader Care Center for the wonderful care given to Carl.
