Leo Eldon Moats, 96, of Grundy Center, Iowa, died of natural causes, Tuesday, April 5, 2005 at the Grundy Care Center while under the care of Cedar Valley Hospice. Funeral services will be at 10:30 A.M. on Friday, April 8, 2005 at Bethany Presbyterian Church in Grundy Center with Chaplain Gary Johnson officiating. Burial will follow at the Rose Hill Cemetery in Grundy Center, Iowa. Visitation will be held Thursday, April 7, 2005, from 6:00 to 8:00 P.M. at Engelkes-Abels Funeral Home in Grundy Center. Memorials may be directed to Cedar Valley Hospice.
Leo was born on October 27, 1908 in Rural Grundy County, near Ivester, Iowa, the son of Alfred Sylvester and Jesse (Strickler) Moats. He attended county school near Ivester. On September 3, 1939, he was united in marriage to Lillian A. Wolthoff at Bethany Presbyterian Church in Grundy Center. The couple made their home in Wellsburg until 1942 when they relocated to Grundy Center. Leo worked as a meat cutter at Swanson Locker in Grundy Center prior to going to work for Western Dressing in the late fifties, retiring in 1974. He was a member of Bethany Presbyterian Church. Leo enjoyed hunting, fishing, woodworking, dancing and was a Chicago Cubs fan.
He is survived by his three children, Bev Plaehn, of Grundy Center, Iowa, Bette (Bud) Parks, of Fair Oaks, California, and Becky (Gary) Anderson, of Colleyville, Texas; sister and brother-in-law Bob and Betty Wolthoff; two sisters-in-law, Etta Moats and Wilma Wolthoff; eight grandchildren; and nine great grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by his parents; his wife, Lillian; two brothers, Earl and Millard Moats; and three sisters, Alva Large, Lucille Foster, and Gladys Daleske.