Francis Lawrence Goebel

Francis L. Goebel, age 75, of Granville, Iowa, slipped away unexpectedly on Tuesday, February 25, 2025, at his home.

Mass of Christian Burial will be at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, March 1, 2025, at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Granville with Father Dan Grieving officiating. Military Honors will follow the mass by the Granville Veterans.  Burial will be in the Iowa Veterans Cemetery in Adel, Iowa, at a later date. Visitation with family present will be 4-6 Friday. There will be a parish rosary and vigil prayer service, at 5 p.m., all at the St. Joseph Catholic Church in Granville. Services have been entrusted to Fisch Funeral Home & Monument in Remsen. Online condolences may be sent to www.fischfh.com

Franny was born December 3,1949, in Orange City, Iowa, the son of Linus and Mildred (Klein) Goebel. He was raised and educated in Granville, graduating from Spalding Catholic High School in 1968. After high school he was drafted into the US Marine Corp. on Jan. 19, 1970 and served in the Vietnam War. He was honorably discharged Jan. 18, 1972 and then returned home to the family farm. 

Franny married Jan Vaske on December 1, 1984 at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Granville, IA. The couple made their home in Granville where he continued to farm. In 2012 Franny and Jan received the Iowa Century Farm recognition for over 100 years of Goebel family farming. He had deep roots in the family farm until the day he passed. Part-time Franny did construction for Denny Gralapp, trucking for Emmett Ahlers and Jeremy Sauer. 

Franny was a member of St. Joseph Catholic Church and the Granville Veterans Honor Guard. He was very proud to be a US Marine and was proud of his service. He enjoyed his 1972 Pontiac LeMans that he had purchased new and had fully restored a few years ago. He was always tinkering with something. In recent years he enjoyed watching old westerns, old country music Dr. Pepper and Hershey’s candy bars. He loved sharing stories and playing cards with family and friends.

Franny is survived by his wife of 40 years, Jan of Granville, IA; Jerry (Shirley) Goebel of Mesa, AZ, Hank (Mary) Goebel of Granville, IA; brother-in-law, Gerald Schorg; sisters-in-law, Josie (Jerry) Petermeier of St. Louis Park, MN, Jane Mertes of Merrill, IA, Margaret (Myron) Majeres of Le Mars, IA, and Joan Vaske of Sioux City, IA; and numerous nieces, nephews and godchildren.

He was preceded in death by his parents Linus and Mildred Goebel; his in-laws, Al and Alice Vaske.

Casket Bearers will be, Kevin Goebel, Doug Goebel, Gary Goebel, Allison Keller, Jim Goebel and Matt Goebel.

Honorary bearers will be, Chris Majeres, Tim Majeres, Michelle Kinnaman, Amy Stoube, Nick Mertes, Ben Petermeier and Dan Petermeier.