TAMA-Leonard LaVerne Bidwell, age 82, of Tama, was called home to the Lord on Saturday, May 15, 2010 at Sunny Hill Care Center in Tama under the care of Grinnell Regional Hospice. A Memorial Visitation will be held Wednesday, May 19, 2010 from 6-8 PM at Kruse-Phillips Funeral Home in Tama. Interment will be private at a future date.
Leonard LaVerne Bidwell was born on March 15, 1928, in rural Tama County, the son of Charles and Edith (Smith) Bidwell.
He attended country school in rural Tama.
On October 13, 1945, he was united in marriage to Bette Jeane Thompson in Grinnell, Iowa. Leonard was employed at Lennox Manufacturing in Marshalltown and retired in 1988 after forty-two and a half years. He was best known for operating Len's Bait House for over forty years in Tama. He was a member of St. Patrick Catholic Church in Tama, UAW, Fraternal Order of Eagles and the Tama American Legion. Leonard was an avid Iowa Hawkeye fan. His greatest enjoyment was fishing and camping.
He was preceded in death by his parents; his wife, Bette on September 22, 2006; one daughter, Cindy Lu Ealy; one grandson, Drew Bidwell; two brothers, Orie and Raymond Bidwell; and one sister, Dorothy Metz.
Survivors include one son, Mike (Sandy) Bidwell of Tama; one daughter, Sue (Mike) McFate of Warsaw, MO; six grandchildren; Pam (Rob) Werner of Toledo, Missy (Willy) Haughey of Tama, Sean (Sheri) McFate of Toledo, Ryan (Heather) Ealy of Mountain View, CA, Cody Ealy of Tama and Michael T. Bidwell of Tama; six great-grandchildren, Brandon Haughey of Tama, Charity Seymour of Toledo, Cortney Seymour of Toledo, Aubree McFate of Toledo, Autumn McFate of Toledo and Hayden Ealy of Mountain View, CA; and one sister, Leona Moore of Toledo.
In lieu of flowers, a memorial fund has been established.