Obituaries 1 July 2023

Francella Catherine Burgart, 91

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Francella Catherine Burgart, age 91 of New Hampton, died peacefully surrounded by her family Wednesday morning, June 28, 2023, at New Hampton Nursing and Rehab. 

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held 10:30 a.m. Monday, July 3, 2023, at Holy Family Parish, New Hampton with the Rev. Jerry Kopacek celebrating the Mass. The pall will be placed on the casket by her six children and the offertory gifts will be presented by great-grandchildren Aubrey Burgart, Anne Burgart, Emma Burgart and Lucas Burgart. 

Interment will be beside her husband in St. Mary’s Cemetery, New Hampton, with Francella’s grandchildren serving as pallbearers.

Friends may greet the family from 3 to 6 p.m. Sunday, July 2, 2023, at Hugeback-Johnson Funeral Home in New Hampton. Visitation will continue an hour prior to the Mass at the church on Monday. 

Online condolences for Francella’s family may be left at hugebackfuneralhome.com. 

Francella was born on the Oswald and Marie (Schwickerath) Schmitz family farm in rural Ionia, on Aug.  15, 1931. She attended country school through eighth grade about half-mile from the farm. 

Francella married Vincent “Timmy” Burgart on September 22, 1949 at St. Boniface Catholic Church in Ionia. To this union six children were born. 

Francella and Timmy farmed the Burgart family farm, a Heritage Farm settled by the Burgart family in 1855. Francella and Timmy moved to New Hampton in 1997. 

Francella enjoyed playing cards, baking, traveling, dancing and gardening. She was an excellent and generous cook. Her greatest enjoyment came from time with family, especially her beloved extended Schmitz family. 

Survivors include six children, Sandra Burgart of New Hampton, James (Becky) Burgart of Council Bluffs, David (Jeanne) Burgart of Clear Lake, Carolyn Nelson of Ionia, Lawrence (Julie) Burgart of St. Paul, Minn., and Joseph (Karla) Burgart of Urbandale; 17 grandchildren, Mathew Burgart, Zachary Burgart, Jonathan Burgart, Jason Burgart, Justin Burgart, Phillip Burgart, Michael Burgart, Sarah Burgart, Aaron Burgart, Amber Kleiner, Craig Nelson, Katie Nelson, Jennifer Burgart, Timothy Burgart, Maggie Elenz, Ronald Burgart and Andrew Burgart, 21 great-grandchildren; three brothers, Larry (Joyce) Schmitz of Urbandale, Gary (Karen) Schmitz of Waterloo, and Dale (Laura) Schmitz of Ionia; three sisters, Joan (the late Alfred) Mueterthies of Lawler, Joyce (Tom) Renze of Marshalltown, and Sharon (the late Donald) Caspersen of New Hampton; and three sisters-in-law, Carol Schmitz, Elaine Schmitz, and Dorothy Schmitz.

She was preceded in death by her husband Timmy in 2012; her parents, a son-in-law, Reggie Nelson; and three brothers: Ron Schmitz, Bob Schmitz, and Bill Schmitz.

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