The Kasperbauer family was a neighbor just to the northwest of our place.
While Marian was much older than me, I got to know her very well and over the decades she shared the Kasperbauer pictures and history with me...which is one of the reasons why I have so much information for a tribute to Marian.
I also got to know several of her classmates and schoolmates around her age who also were very cooperative in sharing their history so I could scan what they had.
One thing about my Manning historical database - when each of us leaves this earth, we will end up forgotten by the people of the area, BUT we will be forever documented in pictures and information and our stories will be preserved in my Manning Historical Digital Preservation Database for anyone who does research in the future.


Marian B. Fitzsimmons

Marian Kasperbauer MHS 1949

Visitation January 31 4:00 PM - 8:00 PM St. Ann Catholic Church Vail, Iowa
Rosary January 31 6:00 PM St. Ann Catholic Church
Prayer Service January 31 7:00 PM St. Ann Catholic Church
Mass of Christian Burial February 1 10:30 AM St. Ann Catholic Church
Cemetery St. Ann's Catholic Cemetery, Vail
Memorials may be directed to Siouxland Catholic Radio, KFHC 88.1

Obituary for Marian B. Fitzsimmons
Comforted by her loving husband of 61 years, Marian Bernadine (Kasperbauer) Fitzsimmons, 88, passed away at home Monday, January 27th, 2020. Throughout her long battle, she was able to stay at home under the loving care of her husband and children, alongside Janean Haukap, Julie Gray and Kindred Hospice Staff.

She was born December 14, 1931, in Manning, Iowa, the daughter of John and Clara (Balk) Kasperbauer. She was the second in a family of nine children. She attended grade school in a one-room country school (Ewoldt No. 3) and graduated from Manning High School in 1949. A bright student, Marian was involved in several activities including 4-H, student council, and pep squad. Among her achievements were Quill & Scroll winner, State Dress Revue winner, and best posture. After high school she worked as a bank teller and saved enough money to begin nursing school in 1955. She graduated as valedictorian from St. Anthony's School of Nursing in 1958. She was very proud to be a walking blood donor for emergency AB+ (a rare blood type) transfusions in her time as a student.

On November 29, 1958, she was united in marriage to the love of her life, Fred Fitzsimmons, at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Manning. Fred and Marian made their home on the farm south of Vail and raised their five children Jeff, Jean, Ann, John, and Jim. They were members of St. Ann's Catholic Church in Vail.

Marian worked as a nurse for Dr. John Hornberger at St. Anthony's and the Manning Clinic and served as the Holy Cross School nurse. After Fred retired, she took over as manager and agent at Vail Insurance Agency.

Marian was always happy to welcome anyone who stepped through the front door (and often welcomed them with her homemade brownies or a home cooked meal). Whether she was cooking, baking, or gardening, she never sat down, with the exception of playing cards. She was a devout Catholic and had a great devotion to praying the rosary. She enrolled her friends and family in the Association of the Miraculous Medal and diligently prayed for us all. Most importantly, she cherished countless hours spent with her family which included twenty-three grandchildren whom she dearly loved and who kept her young.

Marian was preceded in death by her parents and four brothers: Mike Kasperbauer, Jim Kasperbauer, Gerry Kasperbauer, and Patrick Kasperbauer. She is survived by her loving husband, Fred Fitzsimmons, and children: Jeff Fitzsimmons (Barb), Jean Dare (Dave), Ann Emig (Mark), John Fitzsimmons (Lindy), and Jim Fitzsimmons (Shelley); twenty three grandchildren; ten great grandchildren; brothers, Larry (Carmen) and Lonnie (Lou); sisters, Patty Sheets and Linda Johansen; sisters-in-law, Isabel, Marge, Jan, and Kathy; nieces, nephews; other relatives and friends.


1949 MHS graduates: Orrin Asmus, Vernon Asmus, Louis Bohnsack, Dick Clark, Melvin Clothier, Deloris Dammann, Herbert Dammann, George Doyel, Gaillard Frank, Mary Jane Grage, Virgene Grimm, Gerald Grundmeier, Sally Grundmeier, Delores Hammer, Lyle Hansen, Lyle Jahn, Bobbie Dale Johnson, Mary Ann Kasperbauer, LeRoy Kienast, Jerry Knaack, Don Louisfield, Don Middendorf, Don Mohr, Iva Mohr (salutatorian), Donna Neubaum, Beverly Ochsner, Bill Opperman, Danny Lee Peters, Marie Ploog, Hugo Ress, Rose Ann Rix, Leo Rostermundt, Mary Ann Rothfolk, Richard Schrum, Roy Schrum, Dorothy Sextro, Lois Wilhelm (valedictorian)

1949 former students: Mickey Addison, LaVonne Armstrong, Lloyd Barnes, Joyce Bliefert, Rolland Campbell, Raymond Chipman, Bobby Colton, Patty Cramer, Marilyn Davis, Flora Ann Dethlefs, Ronald Fritz, Alfred Grau, LaRue Hagge, Lyle Harder, Betty Hargens, Bobby Hargens, Raymond Hiatt, Patricia Hinkle, Bill Kennedy, Louis Kuhn, Virginia Lee, Russell Mohr, Dorothy Moore, Wesley Nulle, Jean Parker, Neoma Popp, Julia Reimers, Shirley Robinson, Bob Rothmeyer, Donald Sander, Marilyn Sander, Marlene Sander, Donald Slates, Erwin Stoelk, JoAnne Voss, Arlys Wegner, Carol Jean West, Gene Winans, Buelah Wolfe


Ewoldt No. 3

Children of John & Clara Kasperbauer
Ewoldt No. 3 attendance
Michael 1935-43 MHS 1947
Marian (Mary Ann in school) 1937-45 MHS 1949
Patty 1939-48 MHS 1952
Larry 1941-50 MHS 1954
Jim 1942-51 MHS 1955
Gerald "Jerry" 1945-54 MHS 1958
Patrick 1948-56 MHS 1961
Lonnie 1951-56 MHS 1965
Linda 1951-56 MHS 1965

I forget the exact facts that Marian (Mary Ann) Kasperbauer told me but I think it wasn't until after high school that she found out one day by looking at an official document - maybe birth certificate, that her birth name was actually Marian...she used Mary Ann throughout her school years.

Clara, daughter of Mike and Catherine (Venteicher) Balk married John Kasperbauer
John, son of Frank Xavier and Franciska (Pfeffer) Kasperbauer

Children: Michael Kasperbauer, Marian Fitzsimmons, Patty Sheets, Larry Kasperbauer, Jim Kasperbauer, Jerry Kasperbauer, Patrick Kasperbauer, Lonnie Kasperbauer, Linda Johanson



Gerald Kasperbauer


Gerald Kasperbauer


Michael Kasperbauer MHS 1947


4-H project - Ruth Schmidt and Patty Kasperbauer MHS 1952


Larry Kasperbauer MHS 1954


James Kasperbauer MHS 1955


Patrick Kasperbauer MHS 1961


Lonnie Kasperbauer MHS 1965


Linda Kasperbauer MHS 1965


John Kasperbauer WWI


John Kasperbauer 1945 VFW Commander


Clara Kasperbauer


Ewoldt No. 3 Larry, Jerry, Patty, Jim


Patrick Kasperbauer


1993 Kasperbauer barn
Sadly this very unique barn was torn down a number of years ago.

Bill Adams who was married to Bernice Schrum gave this amazing colorized picture to Marian Kasperbauer Fitzsimmons in 1969 when he worked on the Fitzsimmons home in Vail.
Bill was born on this farm.


Marian Kasperbauer & Mary Ann Rothfolk


Fitzsimmons family


1979 Kasperbauer farm home


Back: Michael, Larry, Jim, Jerry, Patrick, Lonnie
Front: Linda, Clara, Patty, Marian Fitzsimmons


Marian - Nurses' training 1955


Marian - 1952 on the farm


Patty, Marian, Jerry, Jim, with gosslings 1945


Marian 1946


Marian 3, Patty 1, Mike 5 - 1935


Mike 9, Marian 7 - 1939


Marian Kasperbauer, Donna Strathman - old grade school playground

Sophomore servers at prom 1946-47

Back: Mary Ann Rothfolk, Rose Ann Rix, Lois Wilhelm, Donna Neubaum
Front: Marian Kasperbauer, Iva Mohr

Clara Kasperbauer - memoirs


Marian Kasperbauer - high school notes

December 1948

Ardella Frahm, Dean Stribe, Mary Ann Kasperbauer, Bill Opperman


Iva (Mohr) Hinze, Marian (Kasperbauer) Fitzsimmons


Russell Mohr, Marian Kasperbauer, Iva Mohr, LeRoy Kienast

Quill & Scroll

Back: Melvin Clothier, Don Middendorf, Dan Peters, Jerry Knaack, Gerald Grundmeier, Roy Schrum
Front: Herbie Dammann, Lois Wilhelm, Iva Mohr, Marian Kasperbauer, Delores Hammer


Back: Delores Hammer, Iva Mohr, Mary Ann Kasperbauer
Front: Mary Ann Rothfolk, Lois Wilhelm (Queen), Virgene Grimm


Junior Senior banquet - Marian Kasperbauer -Sophomore year


Back: Mary Ann Rothfolk, Delores Hammer, Lois Wilhelm
Front: Virginia Grimm, Mary Ann Kasperbauer, Iva Mohr

1947-48 school year

Back: Marilyn Schroeder, Marilyn Godiksen, Bill Opperman, Stanley Nissen
Front: Rose Ann Muhlbauer, Leland Kienast, Marian Kasperbauer

Back: Dorothy Sextro, Virgene Grimm, Donna Neubaum, Mary Ann Rothfolk, Mary Jane Grage, Dorothy Moore, Marie Ploog, Lois Wilhelm
Front: Beverly Ocshner, Marian Kasperbauer, Iva Mohr, Arlys Wegner, Deloris Dammann, Neoma Popp, Sally Grundmeier

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